Rapport issue 89

Rapport THE NATIONWIDE GROUP STAFF UNION MAGAZINE

SPRING 2018 | ISSUE 89

HANDS UP NGSU CELEBRATES WOMEN

MEMBER BENEFITS YOUR FANTASTIC RIGHTS

neWs&VieWs: P2 | BeneFits: P9 | heLPdesk: P14

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welcome…

We couldn’t produce Rapport magazine without the fantastic support of our editorial consultant, Astrid Stubbs and designer, Hannah Miller. They’ve both been involved with the production of the magazine for more years than we all care to remember and have helped us evolve Rapport into a lively and engaging read.

Sadly, this will be the last edition of Rapport edited by Astrid, as she’s taking on a full-time role working in the charity sector. Astrid – we want to say a big thank you for all your help over the years. You’ve done a brilliant job and we’re really going to miss you.

Best wishes from us all at NGSU! Throughout the magazine we use bitly urls – these simply turn a long web address into a much shorter one.

contact us…

NGSU Middleton Farmhouse, 37 Main Road, Middleton Cheney, Banbury, Oxon OX17 2QT Tel: 01295 710767 Fax: 01295 712580 ngsu@ngsu.org.uk www.ngsu.org.uk @TimPoil NGSU

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contents 3 6 8 9 10

News & views From your union A passion for excellence Why people get involved in the NEC Tim’s blog General Secretary’s view from Middleton Cheney Farmhouse Benefits Find out what benefits your Union can give you Extra benefits The added value of your union membership

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NGSU extras Your pull-out guide to benefits and discount designed to help you make the most of your membership

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Avoid funeral poverty Make sure your loved ones know your wishes Helpdesk Q&As and Toolbox Time for women International Women’s Day – campaigning continues Coffee break Use IT, book reviews, prize wordsearch

WELCOME…

NGSU extras

NGSU Extras is PULL-OUT GUIDE discount websiteour benefits and designed to help you make the most of membership your by providing a great package of savings with some of the best names on the high and other fantastic street There is somethi offers. ng for everyon whether you e – want to get more take a break or take advanta active, of money savings ge products. You’ll also find some old favourites, as discounts such on the entry Visit the member price to the top UK benefits family attractio section or our and discoun website: t airport parking. ns ngsu.salary-extr And it just got as.co.uk or call 01295 added Gymsch even better! We’ve 710767. eme, giving you the best corpora te rates at over gyms across 3,000 the UK and Ireland.

By taking advanta ge of just a couple of these SAVE ON… offers you can easily cover some or all Your weekly of the cost of your union member supermarket ● The discounts shop ship! with discoun change, please shown are subject to ts on gift cards check the website for and reloadab full details of NGSU Extras the latest offers. le cards: Asda 3% Morrisons 4% Sainsbury 4% Tesco 4%

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Rapport Editorial board Nicola Huddlestone, President Chris Palfrey, NEC Officer Tim Rose, Assistant General Secretary Editorial consultant Astrid Stubbs Design & production www.the-design-mill.co.uk

Printed in the UK www.banburylitho.co.uk Advertising Tim Rose trose@ngsu.org.uk

More offers over the page…

news&views Work harassment Calls to strengthen the laws on sexual harassment at work to protect women from assaults by third parties are among a raft of changes to the legal system proposed by a law review panel.

The report by the Sex Discrimination Law Review Panel of the women’s campaign group, the Fawcett Society says that the UK legal system is failing women and needs fundamental reform to end the violence against women and girls which, it says, is ‘endemic’ in the UK. The panel was set up to review the UK’s sex discrimination laws in response to the risk that long-established rights could be eroded or weakened as a result of Brexit and leaving the EU single market.

It also considered the effectiveness of current laws and how best to balance the rights of the individual with the responsibilities of the organisation.

The report calls for a number of changes to the legal system, including strengthening the laws on sexual harassment at work to protect women from harassment by third parties, making misogyny a hate crime, making any breach of a domestic abuse order a criminal offence and extending protection from pregnancy discrimination to six months after maternity leave ends. www.fawcettsociety.org.uk

NGSU on the equality trail pages 16-18

Insurance rebate AFH Wealth Management Ltd, which operates our insurance commission rebate scheme, is to close the scheme from 30 April 2018.

NGSU members can continue to use the scheme up until that date and will receive a commission rebate on products bought before the end date.

We have offered a commission rebate scheme for many years and this has been a popular benefit with many members. We hope to find an alternative partner and develop a new scheme over the next few months. ● Your Union is here to provide you with confidential help and advice on all matters relating to work. We’d love you to get involved and make use of the services and benefits we provide – see more about them in this magazine.

Get in touch: Tel: 01295 710767, email: ngsu@ngsu.org.uk or by webchat on our website www.ngsu.org.uk.

Protecting data

New regulations which come into force in May will have an affect on the way data is managed for Nationwide customers and employees and for us at NGSU. The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) is designed to protect an individual’s rights to privacy and the way their information is held. Expect to see considerable coverage of the changes over the next few months. Failure to comply with regulations could lead to disciplinary action and we’d encourage members to ensure they give all updates and training their full attention.

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can you HeLP JaMes? Nationwide employee Christine Armstrong has appealed to her colleagues and fellow union members to help her son, James, get vital surgery.

James has a degenerative spine condition called Idiopathic Scoliosis. With funding denied by his private health insurance company his family is trying to raise £40,000

by April/May this year, so that James can undergo an operation that will give him a future not filled with pain and disability, says his mum.

James,15, is in his final year of GCSEs, and hopes to further his education in chemistry or physics and a future in the medical field.

But earlier this year an appeal to health insurers was turned down, leaving his family reeling in shock and in a difficult place needing to raise the £40,000 surgery cost!

To get optimum results for James, he needs to have the operation by April/ May 2018, says Christine. waynearmstronguk@ hotmail.com

GoFundMe at www.gofund me.com

treat menoPaUse Like PregnancY Workplaces should consider the menopause in a comparable way to pregnancy, says a leading women’s health expert.

Myra Hunter, emeritus professor of clinical health psychology at King’s College London, says menopausal symptoms remain a taboo issue in many workplaces and, while policies to support pregnant women are now standard, there is still little awareness of the impact that the menopause can have on women.

“Women don’t want to be treated as ill, they just want some understanding and awareness of it,” says Ms Hunter, who conducted one of the first major studies looking at how symptoms such as hot flushes affect women at work.

The study tracked 124 female employees in the public and private sectors and found that while symptoms could have a significant impact a simple programme of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) hugely reduced the degree to which women felt their symptoms were problematic.

NGSU President Nicola Huddlestone continues to spend her time in office raising the issue and has been overwhelmed by the response from women of their experiences at work.

BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour has a section devoted to the menopause, including a segment on raising awareness at work www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05vbdxk.

Find out more http://bit.ly/ 2CpPqOu DID you know?

All employers with 250 or more employees - which includes Nationwide – will be required to report on their gender pay gap annually, with the first report this April.

The gender pay gap shows the difference in the average pay between all men and women in a workforce. It’s likely that Nationwide, along with other financial services organisations, will have a high gender pay gap, reflecting its historical organisational structures with more women in lower paid roles.

The aim of reporting requirements is to identify where pay gap issues exist so that organisations can be encouraged to take steps to improve gender equality.

news&views Parkinson’s UK Every hour, two people in the UK are told they have Parkinson’s, a brain condition that turns lives upside down, leaving a future full of uncertainty. One in 20 will be under the age of 40. NGSU Rep Simon Evans will be running a stall in NH Atrium to support the day on 11 April. Please pop along and lend your support and treat yourself to some cake. If you would like to get involved or would like to find out more on how to make donations call Simon on 07887 830071. www.parkinsons.org.uk/get-involved/ parkinsons-awareness-week Simon’s JustGiving page http://bit.ly/2GUmT1T

Learn something new Your union membership entitles you to free taster courses with the National Extension College as well as 10 per cent off if you decide to take a course.

The free courses include Accounting Principles, Biology, Children’s Growth and Development, Climate Change and Alternative Energy Resources, Cognitive Theory and Cognitive Behavioural Theory, Critical Thinking and Double-Entry BookKeeping and Accounts, Globalisation and International Trade, Law: Introduction to Crime, Personal Development Planning and Planning and Managing Your Work.

They’re an ideal way to explore areas you might want take further.

Clare Hickey, Business Development and Student Recruitment Manager with the National Extension College, said: “Our online courses are ideal for those who are looking to fit learning around work and other commitments, making studying a manageable part of your busy life.”

Find out more q http://bitly/2CloW0

Are you working for free?

UK workers gave their employers £33.6 billion of free labour in 2016 by doing unpaid overtime, according to new analysis by the TUC. More than 5.3 million people put in an average of 7.7 hours a week in unpaid overtime – equivalent to an average of £6,301 they have each missed out in their pay packets.

The TUC has designed a calculator at www.tuc.org.uk/unpaidovertime for you to find out how much more you would get paid each year if your unpaid overtime was paid at your usual rate.

Tim Rose NGS Assistant General Secretary, said: “Overtime and working additional hours is a regular topic of discussion between the Union and Nationwide. Issues include ensuring that employees get time back for working additional hours or are paid the contractual overtime rates and the impact of working long hours on stress and wellbeing.

“We’ve made some progress; we know that there has been an increase in overtime payments being made in the branch network and the Society has responded by investing more in promoting awareness of stress and mental wellbeing and the impact of working long hours.”

But Tim adds: “We remain concerned that workloads for some employees means they feel compelled to work extra hours to meet deadlines and that there is still a presenteeism culture in some areas. Greater flexibility is one answer, allowing employees more scope to balance workload and home life without having to work excessive hours but this isn’t always possible in operational areas.”

If you are concerned about working long hours or your entitlements to paid overtime please get in touch.

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A passion for excellence Why do people decide to get more involved in their union? We asked some of our NEC members.

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GSU’s Donna Clarke decided to step up to help her union because she wanted to ensure colleagues are protected and to make their working lives better.

That’s why she decided to stand as a National Regional Officer (NRO) - for the Union NEC - the body that oversees the Union and makes sure the decisions members make at conference are put into practice.

Donna, who is also a rep for Collections and Recoveries and a Disciplinary Officer, said: “I wanted to join the NEC because I’m passionate about the excellent work that the Union does and wanted to be part of the body that drives and supports this activity. Being NRO for NAC, including Sheffield, Wakefield and Manchester, means that I can help and support our reps to ensure that our members’ interests are protected and that we can make people’s working lives better.”

Bev Cubbon, who has worked for Nationwide for 30 years, now in Change Practice as a Change Consultant supporting Banking and Savings Project, explained why she decided to get involved

more than 20 years ago. ‘“I became a rep as I was hearing all too often that people felt guilty for standing up for their rights – so now I help them to! I enjoy the NRO role as I get to not only support the members of NGSU but also the reps in my area. I have a good group of enthusiastic reps in my area which is fantastic,” she says.

For new NEC member Sarah Daly the year got off to a great start. She won the top prize in the monthly union draw in January, which also coincided with her election to the NEC on 1 January.

“Winning the draw was an amazing start to the new year and it just goes to show that anyone can win!” says Sarah.

What does the NEC do?

The National Executive Committee (NEC) is made up of the General Secretary, President, 10 National Regional Officers and nine National Executive Officers. There is a vacancy

“I became a rep as I was hearing all too often that people felt guilty for standing up for their rights”

Top: Donna Clarke.

Middle: Louise Chissell.

Bottom: Bev Cubbon.

WHO’S WHO ON THE NEC? 1 JAN 2018 – 31 MARCH 2019 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

for an Executive Officer position that will soon be filled following the resignation of a long-standing Rep Ros Reid. The NEC also elects officers, from its existing number, to hold the positions of Vice-President, Treasurer and National Equality Officer.

The term of office for this Committee runs from 1 Jan 2018 – 31 March 2019 with the exception of the General Secretary, whose role is a full time post held for a five year period.

The NEC is the formal body that oversees the running of the Union and implementation of the policy determined by NGSU’s National Conference. Nationwide has agreed that NEC members can take up to 11 days off to attend meetings and undertake other duties.

General Secretary Tim Poil President Nicola Huddlestone Executive Officer Lesley Castle Executive Officer (also Treasurer) Karen Hart Executive Officer Katie Houghton Executive Officer Mike Moir Executive Officer Chris Palfrey Executive Officer Fiona Shepperson Executive Officer (also Vice President) Nic Sellars Executive Officer Sara Seymour

● National Regional Officer – Bournemouth Louise Chissell ● National Regional Officer – Scotland Admin Centres (also National Equality Officer) Barry Murphy ● National Regional Officer – NAC Donna Clarke ● National Regional Officer – Branch Network North Sue Walker ● National Regional Officer – Branch Network East Christine Cooper ● National Regional Officer – Branch Network West Sarah Beck ● National Regional Officer – Branch Network South Peter Marsh ● National Regional Officer – Swindon 1 Bev Cubbon ● National Regional Officer – Swindon 2 Peter Goldsworthy ● National Regional Officer – Swindon 3 & London Sarah Daly

Officers ensure that NGSU operates within its own rules as well as the laws governing unions.

They also help determine strategy, represent the Union at formal meetings and help, lead and support the Union’s network of Reps.

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TIM’S blog Latest views from your general secretary The collapse of Carillion is worrying for thousands of workers across the country. The Society did the right thing by stepping in quickly to secure jobs for those who were contracted to provides services to Nationwide. NGSU has had a recognition agreement with Carillion since 2010 and this has transferred to Nationwide, which means that we are able to fully support our existing and new members from Carillion as they integrate into the Society.

Securing everyone’s employment is an important first step. We must now work with the Society to understand the terms and conditions that have transferred from Carillion and clarify everyone’s contractual position. We will be inviting ex-Carillion members to nominate a number of Representatives to work with us and the Society as we carry out this important work.

During March we have an election for the position of National Executive Officer on our National Executive Committee (NEC). The NEC perform an important governance role for the Union by overseeing dayto-day operations, for example, approving our financial budget, and by ensuring that we continue to meet the needs of members.

We are required by law to hold elections for NEC members. This means we must hold a postal ballot and appoint independent scrutineers to run and oversee the election. The cost of conducting a postal ballot comes at a considerable cost and this is the second set of elections we have held in recent months. Of course, this is the

For more info please go to our website www.ngsu.org.uk

Or visit our Facebook or twitter page and tell us your thoughts

The voting period for the current NEC election will close on 23 March 2018. If you’re reading this before then and haven’t voted – please do so.

You can read more about the NEC on page 6 in this edition of Rapport.

@TimPoil Follow Tim on twitter and catch up on his latest news

Tim Poil

price of democracy and we embrace it, but there would be huge benefits in terms of participation (only 9.3% of members voted in the last NEC elections) and efficiency if we could hold these elections using electronic balloting – allowing members to vote online.

The TUC has been lobbying the Government to change the law and allow electronic balloting for a number of years. In response, the Government commissioned an independent review of e-balloting (covering statutory elections and industrial action ballots), conducted

by Sir Ken Knight. His conclusions are disappointing. While recognising the many benefits of e-balloting, the report has recommended to only allow a testing of e-balloting for non statutory ballots - where the purpose is to seek feedback and not a vote to decide an outcome. The purpose of the trial is to determine whether voting verification and resilience to cyber attacks will meet voting requirements set out in legislation.

There are many examples in the UK and other countries where e-balloting is used successfully and safely for important decisions. In a couple of months’ time, Nationwide members will be invited to vote online in respect of resolutions to the AGM and the appointment of Directors. It seems extraordinary that NGSU members cannot use online voting to elect members of our National Executive Committee. The time has surely come to modernise the statutory ballot regulations and we will continue to support the TUC in calling for change.

benefits FIRST PRIZE DRAW RESULTS Prize Chance Sum Winner WEDNESDAY 1ST NOVEMBER 1st 124990 £13,842 Henry Harding WEDNESDAY 4TH OCTOBER 1st 083391 £13787 Julie McCarthy WEDNESDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER 1st 109544 £13,818 Ronald Tudor WEDNESDAY 2ND AUGUST 1st 139614 £13,927 Christopher Pehl

Branch/Department

Caversham Diversity and Inclusion Pensioner Member NAC

TO ENTER THE DRAW OR INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING, PLEASE CALL 01295 710767 For details of all winners see our website.

Enjo

HOST OUR PRIZE DRAW

If you’d like to host the monthly subscription draw simply email us at ngsu@ngsu.org.uk Below: Stephen Taylor from Winton Branch has won a fantastic £13,727 in our latest draw. The draw was held in Atherstone branch and manager Dave Belson asked Stephen to take a seat in the NNOW room’s interview chair. Dave then announced that Stephen had won and both teams celebrated.

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1 2 mfeoalsror ff o % 0 5 your food

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ran estau 00+ r at 6,0 tionwide na

1 YEAR £ 2 9 .9 9 www.tastecard.co.uk/benefits/ngsu

This offer also includes FREE access to tastecard+

saving you money on cinema tickets, hotel stays, days out and more...

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Extra benefits Your Union isn’t just there to protect you in times of trouble – there are loads of lovely extra benefits too.

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he primary purpose of the Union is to protect the interests of members at work but we try to provide added value by offering some great benefit schemes too. We aim to select services that provide a good deal and save you money and help cover the cost of your union subscriptions. There are full details of all our offers on our website but we’d decided to feature a few to remind you what’s available.

NGSU Extras NGSU Extras is a benefits website, run

by Salary Extras, which is used by a number of top companies in the UK as their employee benefits scheme.

We’ve been working with Salary Extras to give our platform a fresh look and to offer a new gym scheme which offers corporate rates and deals at gym across the UK. We’ve included a pullout section in the magazine to help you register and see what’s on offer.

funeral plans. NGSU members can claim a £150 discount on a range of funeral plans – we have more details about the plans and how to claim the discount on pages 12 & 13. The offer is open to family and friends too – feel free to pass on the discount code.

Call 0800 9531263 or 01422 847847 or visit www. ngsutravelclub. co.uk for more information on NGSU Travel Club.

New for 2018 Co-op Funeralcare is one of the best known and respected providers of

Find more benefitus:t in our pull-o guide opposite

NGSU Travel Club Our Travel Club is run by Roger Benn and his team at Benchmark Travel.

It really is a special service – Roger will try to beat any other travel agent or website deal for NGSU members.

Give it a try – you’ve got nothing to lose and he might help make your holiday budget go that bit further.

CALL THE NGSU LEGAL ADVICE HELPLINE

0800 916 9063 Line open 24 hrs a day 7 days a week

WELCOME…

NGSU extras

NGSU Extras is our benefits and discount website designed to help you make the most of your membership by providing a great package of savings with some of the best names on the high street and other fantastic offers.

There is something for everyone – whether you want to get more active, take a break or take advantage of money savings products. You’ll also find some old favourites, such as discounts on the entry price to the top UK family attractions and discount airport parking.

And it just got even better! We’ve added Gymscheme, giving you the best corporate rates at over 3,000 gyms across the UK and Ireland.

By taking advantage of just a couple of these offers you can easily cover some or all of the cost of your union membership! ● The discounts shown are subject to change, please check the NGSU Extras website for full details of the latest offers.

PULL-OUT GUIDE

Visit the member benefits section or our website: ngsu.salary-extras.co.uk or call 01295 710767.

SAVE ON… Your weekly supermarket shop with discounts on gift cards and reloadable cards: Asda 3% Morrisons 4% Sainsbury 4% Tesco 4% More offers over the page…

FRESH NEW LOOK The NGSU Extras website is run in association with Salary Extras.

We worked together to give the site a fresh new look to help make it easier to find the discounts you want. We’ve also provided details of some of our other benefits and services as well as useful information on health and financial wellbeing.

SAVE ON… Fashion: Gap 8% M&S 5% New Look 7% Schuh 10% Topshop 7%

LIFESTYLE BENEFITS

SAVE ON… Alton Towers Theme Park: 1 Day Adult (12+) – Gate price £55; You Pay – £28.05 1 Day Child (3-11 yrs) – Gate price £48; You Pay £23.38

That means for a family of four (2 adults & 2 children) that’s a saving of £103.14!

(Total gate price: £206; Total You pay: £103.14 = savings £102.86. Prices correct at March 2018)

Lifestyle Benefits is a range of everyday benefits with something to appeal to everyone. ● Travel – save on airport parking, travel insurance, holidays and accommodation. ● Motoring – fantastic discounts to help you keep motoring, including special offers on car hire and breakdown cover. ● Days out and leisure – save on the cost of entry to attractions throughout the UK, plus take advantage of discounts at popular restaurant chains and coffee shops.

Shopping cards and gift cards – for discounted cards at popular DIY stores, department stores and even a range of supermarkets.

These Cards are the perfect way to watch your savings mount up every time you need to buy.

SAVE ON… Big brand names: Argos 4% B&Q 6% Currys/PC World 5.5% Halfords 10%

TEAM CLUB CARD

CINEMA TICKETS

Great savings on your everyday shopping! You can receive up to 15% cashback on your everyday shopping when you spend at any of the Team Club retail partners (including Boots, Debenhams, House of Fraser & M&S – plus many more).

TeamClub is a reloadable debit card (NOT a credit card), and can be used wherever you see the Visa® acceptance symbol.

Save up to COMING SOON 40% on the cost of your cinema tickets every time you go to see a film!

You can buy up to 5 pairs of tickets per month, and with a life of at least 6 months, you have plenty of time to use them.

Participating Cinemas include: Cineworld, Empire, Merlin Cinemas, Scott Cinema, Picture House, Hollywood Cinemas and the Light.

NEW – GYMSCHEME Gymscheme is a great new addition to NGSU Extras! If you’re thinking of joining a gym, why not take advantage of the best corporate discount available and join with Gymscheme? Gyms all over the UK & Ireland participate in Gymscheme, giving you the flexibility to choose one near home or work and make a great saving too! A simple search will reveal all the gyms near you participating in the scheme.

Offers vary from gym to gym and include free trial sessions, no joining fees and discounts on subscriptions.

Simply download a discount voucher and take it to your gym. Full details of the offer will be on the voucher.

If your gym isn’t listed you can ‘request a gym’, the team will do their best to enrol you and get a discount for you.

YOUR WELLBEING Your wellbeing can be affected by many factors – from worries and issues in your life to physical problems and challenges. Our aim is to give you some effective tools to help you manage with great advice, tips and signposts to organisations who can assist you further where it’s needed.

REGISTER AND START SAVING You’ll find NGSU Extras ● www.ngsu.salary-extras.co.uk – it’s fully responsive and compatible with your computer and mobile device.

You’ll need to register when you first visit the NGSU Extras website. From the landing page enter ‘NGSU’ as the organisation name and this will take you to the registration NEED HELP page. Enter ‘benefits’ as the Salary Extras have a company password. You’ll then dedicated helpline which can be asked to enter your name and support you with registering e-mail address and to select your and provide more information own password for future use. about the benefits.

Salary Extras works with a ● 0330 100 2313 number of partners, including (charged at local rate) cinema discounts; gift cards and ● info@salary-extras.co.uk Gymscheme. When registering 8:00am - 6:00pm for discounts or downloading Monday to Friday vouchers, use ‘NGSU’ as the company/scheme name.

MORE BENEFITS… We have a range of other member benefits, including: ● Legal support – NGSU member are entitled to a variety of discounted services SAVE ON… provided by Slater and Gordon Lawyers.

Dining out with ● Subscription Draw – win fantastic cash discounts with prizes every month – a first prize of up to digital codes, £15,000. Strictly NGSU members only! gift cards and ● NGSU Travel Club – make your holiday reloadable cards: budget go further! The NGSU Travel Bella Italia 10% Club provides fantastic travel deals Pizza Express 8% and will try to beat ANY OTHER travel Costa 7% agent/website/Teletext deal by giving Café Nero 9% NGSU members an extra discount.

Starbucks 9% ● And there’s more…. We have a range of additional discounts for members with Affinity Leasing, Hotpoint, O2, Virgin Experience Days, Co-op Funeralcare and Westfield Healthcare.

HOLIDAY FIZZ – THE PROSECCO TOUR! The NGSU Travel Club is operated

by Benchmark Travel which is also the provider of some of the best tours across the globe.

For instance did you know that a third of all glasses of Prosecco produced in the world in the last year were drunk by us here in the United Kingdom? Are you one of these people?

If you are then why not join Benchmark on one of their exclusive tours to Prosecco Road in Northern Italy?

While it’s cheaper than champagne and some would say it tastes a lot better, Prosecco is predominately made just two hours north of Venice on La Strada del Prosecco (Prosecco Road). On our exclusive tour you’ll spend three days sampling and being educated on the finest Superior Proseccos, marvelling at the stunning, panoramic views and enjoying the best and freshest local produce the region has to offer.

AFFINITY LEASING affinity Leasing offer a wide variety of brand new cars on leases and personal finance (PcP and Pch) to members plus their friends and family. heavily discounted vehicles are available, along with no deposit deals, and a part exchange service. all vehicles are brand new on the 18 registration plate, and have no Benefit in kind tax to pay. they are delivered to you and come with full manufacturer’s warranty.

You may have seen their stands at ngsU roadshows and received information about current special offers, including the mitsubishi outlander PheV petrol hybrid from just £209 a month on a new 12 month PcP contract. BmW deals are new, including the 1 series 3 door hatch from just £149 a

We know only the best local restaurants and bars in the area and we’ll invite you to join us there as a group or suggest them to you so you can enjoy your evenings at your own leisure.

Although you won’t want to stop tasting the Prosecco, you’ll have plenty of time to experience the culture and history of the area, including the chance to check out the beautiful City of Conegliano.

If three days isn’t quite enough time in Italy for you, we can tailor your trip to include Lake Garda, Verona and of course Venice!

Benchmark Travel have even more exciting tours for NGSU Members that you can check out on their website: www.benchmarktravel.co.uk

BMW

from just

£149

month with a £750 deposit, the X4 m sport auto from a month £279 with a £2000 deposit. many other special offers are also available, for example Vauxhall astra top of the range elite from £139 a month, and BmW 5 series saloon and estate, along with many other makes and models. to stay up to date with special offers visit www.affinityvehicleleasing.com and enter your email address in the newsletter signup at the bottom of the page. the ngsU members log in code to apply discounts on the site is Union, but many of the special offers are not available on the website so call free on 0800 0607070 to discuss your needs or email info@affinityvehicleleasing.com

£150 off £2,995 £2,845

Exclusive NGSU member price*

ADVERTORIAL

Fully guaranteed funeral plans from £2,845 now with our new and unique Co-op Commitment At Co-op Funeralcare, we’re absolutely determined to do right by you and by those you leave behind.

That’s why we offer fully guaranteed funeral plans† so you can plan and pay for your funeral in advance, protecting your loved ones from unexpected costs and uncertainty about your final wishes.

If you wish to spread the cost and pay for your funeral plan in instalments over 2-25 years, then you will benefit from our new and unique Co-op Commitment. It’s something no other funeral plan provider offers.

Our commitment means if you die after the first 12 months of your plan, but before all your instalments have been paid, we’ll do right by you and your family and deliver the funeral you’d planned, without your family having to pay a penny more.††

Protecting your loved ones When you choose a Co-op funeral plan you get peace of mind that everything’s paid for and arranged in advance. So whatever happens, you can be sure your loved ones are left with happy memories and not heavy debts.

Our plans are fully guaranteed, no matter how much prices rise your loved ones will have nothing more to pay †† We offer a range of four set plans or a tailor-made plan which are available for both burial or cremation.

Flexible ways to pay: - You can pay in full with one single payment - In instalments over 6-12 months (at no extra cost) - In instalments over 2-25 years from £16.39 a month** (instalment charges apply) To find out more about our funeral plans and our Co-op Commitment visit coop.co.uk/funeralcare

As prices and availability vary across the UK, Co-op burial plans don’t include the cost of buying a grave. ††The Co-op Commitment applies if you are paying in instalments over 2-25 years and 1 year has passed since the plan start date. Instalments must be paid up to date and your funeral must be arranged and carried out by one of our Funeral Directors. Visit our website for terms & conditions. *Price shown is the exclusive NGSU Member price. **Price based on a 50 year old purchasing a Simple Plan (£2,995 – £150 discount is £2,845) over 25 years, paying in total £4,918.50. The first instalment will be £17.89 with all other instalments being £16.39. Discount is only valid for pre-paid funeral plans purchased between 4th April 2018 and 4th April 2019 (inclusive). The promotional code for this advert is NGSU150. A Co-op Member will not be able to earn their Membership reward when purchasing a funeral plan using this promotional code. If you are buying a plan online, the £150 replaces the normal online saving and is not in addition to it. The Promoter is Funeral Services Limited (30808R) trading as Co-op Funeralcare, with registered office at 1 Angel Square, Manchester, M60 0AG. Full terms and conditions can be found at www.co-operativefuneralcare.co.uk/terms-and-conditions.

†

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Matt Howells, Managing Director for Co-op Later Life Planning comments: “There’s an increasing trend towards planning ahead financially for a funeral, however the market remains inaccessible for many both in terms of cost, and product transparency. We’re focused on removing some of these barriers by improving the cover in our plans, working with industry experts to increase transparency, whilst also increasing accessibility by driving down costs.

Where someone has taken steps to plan ahead financially for a funeral, whether they pay upfront or spread the cost, the Co-op Commitment now gives people peace of mind that their family won’t be left with an unexpected bill.”

Funeral Plan vs Over 50s Life Cover Some people choose to take out an over 50s plan to cover the costs of their funeral. However, these policies aren’t so generous. They provide a fixed amount lump sum on your death, but you may pay in far more than your family receives when you die. The lump sum that is paid out may also not cover the full cost of the funeral when the time comes and if you miss a number of monthly payments, your over 50s cover could stop and your family may not get anything back.

With a Co-op funeral plan, you won’t have to worry about this, your family will know exactly what you want and you’ll get peace of mind that everything is sorted.

Don’t just take our word for it We believe that we offer the best funeral plans in the UK, but don’t just take our word for it. Take a look at the industry awards we’ve won and some of our customer reviews on Feefo:

“Peace of mind guaranteed. It was clear and easy to follow, did not take long and simple to complete.”

“Hassle free. I did mine all online but called my local funeral home when I had a question.

I’m glad that I chose Co-op.”

Based on independent customer feedback, from 1,535 verified reviews, our funeral plans have an average rating of 4.7 stars out of 5 (as of 6 February 2018.)

FUNERAL PLANS | 2018

Rated by Experts

Our Silver and Gold Funeral Plans have both received the coveted 5 Star Rating from Fairer Finance.

We’ve won the Best Funeral Plan Provider in the 2018 Moneynet personal finance awards.

Our Gold Funeral Plan has again received a 5 Star Rating by Defaqto.

NGSU members get £150 off a funeral plan at Co-op Funeralcare* As a member of the NGSU, you'll receive an exclusive £150 discount when you buy a Co-op funeral plan.

To get your exclusive £150 discount, just quote code NGSU150.

We understand there’s lots to think about – for you and your loved ones. That’s why we’re always more than happy to help and answer any of your questions, whenever you’re ready.

For your free information pack Pop into your local Co-op Funeralcare Call us on 0800 389 8377 Visit coop.co.uk/funeralcare

09/03/2018 17:07

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QA &

We answer your questions about your working rights.

I’m planning to resign during May and will be leaving Nationwide in early July. Will I still qualify for the Sharing in Success (SIS) bonus?

To be eligible you must be employed by the Society on the SIS payment date and not be under notice. If you hand in your resignation before the payment date, you won’t receive the bonus, even if it’s paid before you leave. The bonus will be paid to employees who have received eligible earnings but have been made redundant or taken voluntary retirement and left Nationwide during the performance year and before the payment date. Full details of the eligibility criteria can be found on Nationwide’s intranet.

At our branch we are required to be ‘on-call’ to serve customers even if we are taking our lunch break – is this something that we should be expected to do?

If you’re scheduled to work for more than six hours, you are entitled to have at least a 20 minute rest break during the working period. This is an entitlement under the Working Time Regulations, which state that the

There are more Q&As on our website in the Help at Work section – https:// ngsu.co.uk/ frequently-askedquestions. Is there a question you need answering – send it to ngsu@ ngsu.org.uk.

break should be uninterrupted and taken away from the workstation.

The break should be taken during the working period and not at the beginning or end of it. You can be asked to work through part of your rest break. If so, you will be paid for the rest break that you have missed, unless you have been able to take your break at another time during that working day. Details of the rest break payments are in the Branch Network Working Arrangements Policy in the HR policy point or NGSU website.

I’m worried about a meeting with my manager. Can I record what’s said on my smartphone?

If you secretly record a conversation using a smartphone or other device you could face disciplinary action for a breach of trust and confidence.

Similarly, your manager should not secretly record you. Formal hearings are usually recorded but this is controlled by HR and is subject to everyone’s consent. It is reasonable to make notes about what is said at meetings, both during and afterwards to keep a record of the conversation.

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Holiday check list

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Holiday Policy The Holiday Policy at Nationwide is a contractual policy and sets out nationally agreed entitlements and rules on booking holiday.

Some business areas may develop local procedures to help manage requests but these do not replace the Holiday Policy. http://bit.ly/2BtalyN

holiday at another time. You must: tell your manager that your holiday is disrupted as soon as possible, have evidence from a medical practitioner of your incapacity, submit a written request for alternative dates, normally within 10 days of notifying your manager of your illness.

Carrying forward holiday You can request to carry over two days leave to the next holiday year.

These two days are pro-rated for part-time employees. Days carried over should be taken in January. If you have been unable to take all of your statutory holiday entitlement because of ill health, you may be able to carry over more. Restrictions may apply so seek advice from AskHR.

Booking holiday All holiday requests should be agreed in advance with your manager or resourcing team.

Managers are encouraged to agree requests wherever possible but can decline requests for operational reasons. There are some restrictions set out in the Holiday Policy, for example, holiday taken between June and September should not exceed two weeks and three days except by agreement.

Christmas holiday You can take at least one day of annual leave during the ‘Christmas Period’ – this is generally considered to cover the Christmas school holidays. Check out our FAQs on holiday and early closing on Christmas Eve. http://bit.ly/2GfEukb Ill health and holiday If you fall sick during a period of holiday you can request to take the

Check out NGSU Extras for discounts on top UK attractions. http://bit.ly/2svXgSA NGSU members can get 20% discount on Virgin Experience days http://bit.ly/2EDd7Uj

Extended holiday scheme Yes - there is one! You can accumulate 15 days by carrying over holiday during a five year period and taking an extended holiday in year six.

NGSU Travel Club There are tips and advice about destinations and safe travel on our dedicated website. Look out for exclusive competitions too! There are no holiday prices listed – you must call 0800 9531263 and quote NGSU to get special deals and discounts. http://www.ngsutravelclub.co.uk/

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Celebrations but campaigning continues…

Time for women I nternational Women’s Day celebrated around the world on March 8 - was officially adopted by the United Nations in 1975.

It’s a day to celebrate all the triumphs and successes of women across the globe with events that celebrate what women have accomplished.

The day is also a time to shine light on gender inequality and the struggles so many women face everyday, like domestic violence and attacks on reproductive rights.

While women have come so far since International Women’s Day was introduced, there’s still a long way to go and a lot of work still ahead, including work on equal pay, sexual harassment, flexible working and career progression This year’s campaign theme is #PressforProgress and it invites you to choose an area to commit to concentrate on to press for progress.

Find out more at www.internationalwomensday. com/PressforProgress

“International womens day is a time for us to celebrate and organise. Conversations that have been underway for so long in our movement have pierced through into wider public consciousness. Stories of #metoo, massive gender pay gaps in our cherished institutions like the BBC and a courser politics where women’s ability to organise is attacked. This makes our movement stronger by ensuring that our unions are the place for women to organise in whatever sector they are employed to challenge the structural inequalities and end them for good.”

Sally Hunt, General Secretary UCU (former AGS NGSU)

Left: Article taken from a transport magazine from 1943 on supervising women.

“It’s fantastic to celebrate women’s achievements, at home and globally. But gender equality is still a long way off. We all need to keep organising for fair pay, equal treatment and a union voice at work. And together we can stamp out sexual harassment and discrimination. Join us in calling for a new deal for working people at our national demonstration in London on 12 May.” Francis O’Grady

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“Being part of a wider group of people and having pay and conditions at work negotiated all together means women are more likely to be paid equally to men. While pregnancy discrimination and sexual harassment can occur, having a local rep or union officer to go to makes the difference about being pushed out of work or being able to continue with work and career.

Being involved as a local rep is even more important for women because that’s where we make sure that the issues that matter, from flexible working to the gender pay gap are put firmly on the table. The more that women join and are involved in their union, the better it is for everyone. So, if you’re not already involved sign up!

Jess Hurd/reportdigital. co.u

BECKY WRIGHT DIRECTOR OF UNIONS 21 SAYS…

Find out more about #PressforProgress at: http://bit. ly/2sWdqES

NATIONWIDE FIGURES At Nationwide the gender split is around 63% women and 37% men (permanent employees) and at the very top executive levels (Levels 4 & 5) – around 25% of that population are women.

By law Nationwide must publish its equal pay gap data before April and it’s expected to be high because of its historical organisational structure with more women in junior roles such as cashiering/admin and more men in management.

This is changing slightly with Level 2 (middle management and specialist roles) having a 50/50 split while at the admin/ cashiering level it’s around 75% women and 25% men.

NGSU’s team of 19 is made up of 80% women/20% men and of its 201 workplace Reps 70% are women and 30% men.

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“Supporting International Womens Day is important to me personally for two reasons. 1) I sponsor the Gender Equality Matters network and 2) As a working mum of 3, doing as much as a I can to create equal opportunities for everyone as well as being a role model to my children is crucial. Working in an environment where you feel valued for the work that you do is something that I believe NBS does well, however, like anything we can always do better.

This year the Gender Equality Matters Network will be focussing on ‘Equal at Home, Equal at Work’ meaning that where we see women progressing at that pace is often when responsibilities for caring for children, parents etc is shared between the family.”

Mandy Beech, Director of Branch Network

HOW IS NGSU WORKING FOR EQUALITY? NGSU continues to campaign for and support diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities and is pressing for more opportunities for flexible working and also more opportunities to work remotely e.g. there are more opportunities and variety of job roles for development and progression at Nationwide sites in Swindon. But NGSU wants to see opportunities extend out to other sites, such as Dunfermline, Bournemouth, Northampton etc.

The union has agreed new performance management processes which its hopes will give fairer ratings for employees at Level 1 and recognise the value of part-time work (NBS is

slowly adopting the phrase ‘key worker’ to replace ‘part-time’ to enhance the perception of the value of the role).

NGSU has agreed improvements to maternity pay – 18 weeks full pay from April 2018 and increasing to 22 weeks from April 2019 and is seeking enhanced pay for shared parental leave.

NGSU President Nicola Huddlestone continues to press for greater understanding and action to support women during the menopause, recognising the impact on work.

The union has also initiated policy development in respect of domestic violence.

ALISON ROBB LEADER OF PEOPLE & CULTURE/ NATIONWIDE SAYS… “I am proud of the progress Nationwide has made in my 22 years. I was the first female member of Exco in 2012 and today a third of the Exco team is female – great progress but with more to do. I hope we see more of male colleagues taking parental leave, more talented female middle managers progress and that flexible working is the norm. Building Pride through our people is a vital part of our strategy and to have the best people means we need to be inclusive in all we do. However, I also have an ask of my colleagues - don’t ever assume that something isn’t possible… try new things…use every learning experience that comes your way and if you see behaviour that isn’t acceptable please Speak Up: that way we will ensure we can all fulfil our potential.”

coffee break...

RISE UP WOMEN! THE REMARKABLE LIVES OF THE SUFFRAGETTES – DIANE ATKINSON

PRIZE WORDSEARCH

A history of the women who answered the call to rise up for women’s suffrage. A group that spanned the divides of class and country, women of all ages who were determined to fight for what had been so long denied.

A WOMAN’S WORK – HARRIET HARMAN

When Harriet Harman started her career, men-only job adverts and a ‘women’s rate’ of pay were the norm. But, she argues, we should never just be grateful that things are better now. There’s still more to do.

ON THE FRONTLINE WITH THE WOMEN WHO FIGHT BACK – STACEY DOOLEY

BBC 3 Documentary maker Dooley reports on incredible women in extraordinary and terrifying circumstances, from sex workers in Russia to victims of domestic violence in Honduras.

THE LIFE OF A BANANA – PP WONG

Xing Li is what some Chinese people call a banana - yellow on the outside and white on the inside. Although born and raised in London She’s wondering how she can fit in..

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Are you Linkedin? making connections can help you stay abreast of what’s happening on the work front. Join Linkedin and you can connect with the 10,878 other nationwide employees, including ngsU general secretary tim Poil and President nicola huddlestone. closer to home log into ngsU’s own forum to have your say on any topics you like – trending at the moment are issues as varied as stage one hearings for ill health and using real cups in branches rather than paper cups.

Log in at: https://forum.ngsu.co.uk

WIN

£25 voucher

One lucky winner will receive a £25 book or iBook token. Simply find the words which are all related to International Women’s Day. Completed entries should be sent to Middleton Cheney by 27 April 2018 with your name and membership number filled in below.

QV NA PR K X WY X B DB X R NG L N DO CO U T Y P VG OG AC

Q S O C I A L L E E P L Y M B V H

F D G G W G O H E Q C L D H B I I

G Z R K V B B P P U W E O P S O E

S F E P A J U Z L A P C T B E L V

B Z S L O W J T Z L H T T M P E E

WOMEN SOCIAL ECONOMIC CULTURAL POLITICAL ACHIEVEMENT

Y G S C L L U O W I L I V A Y T M

Y G X B F R I X H T Z V P R U G E

A G E D A Z K T X Y W E G C R W N

K B V L N H L V I A P O G H Z Z T

Q E C O N O M I C C Z U M O Z T B

MARCH PROGRESS GLOBAL EQUALITY COLLECTIVE VIOLET

Name Membership number

Please return to: NGSU, Middleton Farmhouse, 37 Main Road, Middleton Cheney, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX17 2QT

K S E P I G M D S B A P D E S Q Y

Q V M O E V V K C P P L E E N P S

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Have You Tried The NGSU Travel Club Yet? 4 key benefits

1

Cheaper than travel agency or internet prices On average we beat 99% of any published travel agency or internet price. We also have many fantastic special offers of our own that are just for Travel Club members.

2

Whenever or wherever you want to go Whether it be family summer holidays, winter sun, skiing, worldwide tours, cruises, adventures, weddings/honeymoons, UK, European or Worldwide city breaks.

3 Great service and peace of mind Unlike the internet, your NGSU Travel Club offers a great personal service with a dedicated point of contact and a 24 hour helpline!

4 Open to all the family

Did you know that the NGSU Travel Club is not just for you. All your family can benefit from the amazing savings and great service available.

travel club

01422 847 847 www.ngsutravelclub.co.uk