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1st December 2023

Branch Christmas Competition 2023

Apple iPad ProOnce more we are running our fantastic Christmas Competition, which is open to members only for all our current UNISON members at both the Robert Gordon University and the University of Aberdeen.

This year, we have an amazing Apple iPad Air to win, and twenty lucky winners will receive a voucher code for £50, to use on any shopping vouchers they like from the love2shop redemption website.

Entry is online only this year:

Don’t leave it too late to send your entry before midday on 15th December - enter today!

Apple iPad Air
Win an Apple iPad Air

Categories: Benefits | Branch | Members | RGU | UofA


1st June 2023

Have you VOTED yet!? Vote YES for Better Pay!

Rising together for Better Pay - Vote YES for Strike Action

Pay talks with the University and Colleges Employers’ Association (UCEA) ended in impasse, rather than agreement. UCEA made their latest final pay offer for 2023-24 during the ACAS facilitated dispute resolution talks in February: another below-inflation pay rise.

With RPI inflation at 13.8% in February 2023 and even CPI at 10.4%, like many other workers across the country, between 2022-23 and 2023-24 you are facing the prospect of the biggest ever real terms pay cut.

Vote YES to strike for the pay you deserve.

Higher Education Strike Ballot 2023

 

Categories: Ballot | Campaigns | Members | Pay | Strike


16th March 2023

Thank You Julie

Julie Yackiminie with Eric Auld Print, "Into Aberdeen"Aberdeen Universities Branch bid a fond farewell to Julie Yackiminie as she stood down from her post as branch chair after many years of service to UNISON. 

Colin Jones, UNISON Convener at the Robert Gordon University said, “I became involved in UNISON twenty years ago when Julie asked for people to help ‘give out leaflets’.  She was a great mentor and support and was always there to provide advice on issues where she would often be able to give that alternative perspective or come up with something you hadn’t thought of.  It has been a pleasure working with her over all this time as both a friend and colleague, and I’d like to personally thank her for everything she’s done for the branch.”

Julie said, “I enjoyed my 28 years as a steward and member of the branch committee.  I met many people I would never have met and I was also given opportunities I would never have had. It was very rewarding being a UNISON steward and activist, knowing that in some small way I had helped someone. I would urge members to think about becoming a steward or helping the union out in any way they can.”

Owen Cox, branch chair also added, “Working with Julie stimulates everybody’s imagination and people dare to dream about real change.  She was an inspiration to me and to all of us. We wish her well, but it’s not lost on me how much we will miss her.”

Julie, who is due to retire later this year, was presented with a print entitled “Into Aberdeen” by North East artist Eric Auld, in recognition of all the work she had done for the branch, and for members.

Categories: Branch | Information | Members


15th December 2022

Branch Christmas Competition 2022 - RESULTS

Christmas TreeThe branch held our prize draw for our fantastic Christmas Competition yesterday and we're pleased to announce we now have our three prize winners and fourteen runners up for this year.

This year we had Fifteen £50 Vouchers up for grabs!

Our prize winners draw was overseen by branch committee members, Jim Florence, Shirley Cooper and Abeer Eladany on Thursday and were:

  • Peter Cross; Chris Paterson; Louise Hughes; Julie Houston; Marjory Reilly;
    China Maudlin; Maureen Cooper; Irene Baird; Jan Smith; Margaret McIntosh;
    Lewis McConochie; Annette Davidson; Enrique Olivares; Arlene Jopp; Colin Jamieson.

Our competition this year was a riddle: 

I am a plant seen every Christmas,
which people hang up above,
and then they stand beneath me,
and kiss someone they love.
 
and the answer was "Mistletoe".   Well done to everyone who got the right answer!
 
Congratulations to all our winners, and to everyone out there, have a Happy Christmas and New Year!

Categories: Benefits | Branch | Members


2nd December 2022

Branch Christmas Competition 2022

Apple iPad ProOnce more we are running our fantastic Christmas Competition, which is open to members only for all our current UNISON members at both the Robert Gordon University and the University of Aberdeen.

This year, fifteen luck winners will receive a voucher code for £50, to use on any shopping vouchers they like from the love2shop redemption website.

Entry is online only this year:

Don’t leave it too late to send your entry before 14th December - enter today!

Categories: Benefits | Branch | Members


13th September 2022

State Funeral - Strike Dates Change

Following the events of the last week, and the subsequent national mourning period and planned state funeral for HM Queen Elizabeth II, the strike action due to take place at RGU on Monday 19th September has now been cancelled.

The state funeral marks the end of the national mourning period and employers will be working as normal from Tuesday 20th September.

The remaining strike dates announced will therefore continue as planned on 20th and 21st September and 3rd and 4th October.

Categories: Ballot | Branch | Members | Pay | RGU


20th August 2022

RGU Members Vote for Strike Action Over Pay

We're Worth More - We Can't Afford Less - Vote YES for Strike ActionHigher Education pay campaign and strike ballot 2022 - Results

Members at both the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University have overwhelmingly rejected the employer's pay offer this year. 79.2% of Robert Gordon University members who voted, voted to reject the pay offer, and more than half of UNISON members voted, meaning the vote has met the threshhold for industrial action. 71.4% of University of Aberdeen members who voted, voted to reject the pay offer, however we were just two votes short of meeting the threshhold for industrial action.  Regrettably therefore even though members rejected the pay offer, industrial action cannot take place at UofA. The branch committee will meet this week to decide on next steps and to co-ordinate industrial action with other branches in Scotland and elsewhere.  We will provide more information on what happens next as soon as possible. We would like to thank everyone who voted to reject this derisory pay offer, which does nothing to address the severe cost of living crisis we are now going through, and comes on the back of years of below inflation pay increases, including a 0% increase in 2020, and just 2% in 2021.  We trust that all members will now back this democratic decision and send a clear message to HE employers that this pay award is not acceptable, and that they must come back to the negotiating table with a significantly better offer. On behalf of the UNISON AUB Branch Committte

Categories: Ballot | Branch | Members | Pay | Strike


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