In the latest UnionDues podcast, I chat with Paul Day, Director of the Pharmacists’ union PDAU. Following an epic campaign(which included setting important legal precedents) to achieve recognition in Boots, Paul talks about his hopes now for the union-employer relationship. (Podcasts on the recognition campaign can be found here and here).
We also explore the challenge for pharmacists during coronavirus, and why the crisis was exactly the right time to introduce dedicated equality, diversity and inclusivity networks within the union.
As usual, we cover a lot of ground – The spat between Parliament’s Education Select Committee and teacher unions’ leaders is dissected: If getting everyone back to school was as easy as some think, it would surely have been done by now! But what will it take to make this aspiration a reality? Union websites are a great resource for members, parents and everyone else – try those for the NEU, NASUWT NAHT (Headteachers) and GMB. The Danish example mentioned in the podcast is here, and the NASUWT response to the DfE’s catch up funding is here.
The reference to the Building Better Schools programme misdescribed the project – it was in fact Building Schools For The Future.
Interesting news snippets on Employment Tribunal waiting times were flagged up by Tom Hunt of the Sheffield Political and Economic Research Institute, and the call by a senior Aviva analyst for high earners to contribute first and most if cash is short as reported by Kayleena Makortoff is here.
Amelia Gentleman’s masterful “The Windrush Betrayal – Exposing the Hostile Environment” is reviewed here and available from all good booksellers.
UnionDues is on holiday until September, when we return for our second series. Thanks to everyone who has listened, commented, emailed, tweeted and retweeted, and to our guests, Vic Barlow, Clare Coatman, Paul Day, Victoria Jones, Andrew Pakes, Tim Rose, Rebecca Winson, John Wood, Sarah Woolley, plus Lionel Fulton, Meesha Nehru, Carl Roper, and Liz Sapper (and apologies to anyone I’ve missed).
You can access the latest and all episodes here. Please download, stream, listen, share, rate, but above all enjoy.
Join the conversation: uniondues@makes-you-think.com, @DuesUnion.
Stay safe and see you soon.
