The Freedom of Information Act has been used by a number of organisations to question trade union facility time across the public sector. Unite believes that these actions are part of an attempt to undermine and weaken trade unions’ legitimate role in the workplace.
Trade Union Facility Time is a crucial union resource and if seriously undermined could acutely jeopardise the ability of the unions to represent members effectively.

The joint trade unions are determined that the voice of NHS staff should be heard loudly and clearly in the debate around pay and in the evidence to this year’s NHS Pay Review Body that will recommend how much AfC pay scales should be increased by.

Applications are invited from public health workers across Wales to the Public Health Practitioner Portfolio Development Support Programme (2010-11). Through this programme practitioners will be able to access a range of support in developing portfolios of evidence against the UK Public Health Register’s (UKPHR) Public Health Practitioner (Draft) Standards for Registration.

Please find, for your information the recently revised version of the AfC handbook dated 25th January 2010 . In particular I draw your attention to Annex A 2 which now incorporates the FAQs into the handbook.