WORK WELLBEING

COMPROMISED

FYLDE

NEWS

INSIDE

Vikki’s Green Piece

Whales at Risk

QUIZ RESULTS

MICKSTREL! MEET THE REP!

featuring

Katya

Workplace Resilience

Programmes

Carl’s Cracker

Carl’s Curry Quiz

AGM REMINDER Thurs 28

th Feb

Mark Serwotka

Golden Ticket Results

GOLDEN TICKET

Crunchy Carl's Christmas Cracker of a Quiz - the results Ooooohhh, it's that crunchy carl, back with the results of my Christmas quiz, it was a real cracker.

Here are the answers.

Answer 1

The day that follows straight after Xmas day is Boxing Day

Answer 2

Xmas crackers were first invented in the 19th

Century

Answer 3

Norway donates the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square.

Answer 4

Noël means Christmas in French

Answer 5

Deryck Guyler played the washboard

Answer 6

Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group had a million selling single with Freight Train.

The winner will receive a mystery prize of X. Well done.

Tony

Answer 5

The first noel originated in Cornwall

Answer 6

Charles Dickens wrote a Christmas carol

The winner who received a mystery prize of chocs was Rich Thomas from Warbreck.

Well done!

Ooooooohhhh it’s that Carl!

PCS Fylde Golden Ticket

Campaign Results

Golden

Ticket

Golden Ticket winner Diane Radcliffe being presented with her prize by Branch Deputy Organiser Garry Wild

PCS Fylde branch ran a membership campaign to encourage current PCS members to update their contact details. Entitled Golden Ticket, every member who contacted the branch Organiser with their contact details were entered into a prize draw to win £100 in vouchers.

Branch Organiser Mick Daniels stated “Many Congratulations to Diane and the lucky runners up but an even bigger thanks to all the members who took the time to send us their details.

The organising team have gone above and beyond this year. Well Done!

Golden Ticket Runners Up Lyndsey and

Simon with their prizes

Golden

Ticket

VIKKI’s GREEN PIECE

Japan are to be no longer part of the International Whaling Commission!

Whales have been hunted by humans for thousands of years. Their flesh, oil and blubber have been variously employed for food, to make wax for candles and to provide fuel for lamps. There is no need for this kind of exploitation today. Modern society can get its protein and its lighting from other, more accessible sources. Hence the decision by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to place a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986. Which Japan has stuck to until now.

Each year, Japanese whalers have been hauling hundreds of harpooned whales aboard their giant 8,145-ton vessel called the Nisshin Maru. For decades, they've killed most of these whales in the open Antarctic seas, under the guise of performing scientific "research." The nation will not be killing whales in Antarctic waters, instead they will strictly hunt whales in water around Japan, this will be mostly for whales’ meat. However if Japan did remain bound to the whaling conservation agreement, there's no world power that would to stop Japan from whaling in its own waters, specifically Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone, which stretches 200 miles from its coast.

It does remain to be seen if this move will be successful or not. It is also unclear if the current generation of Japanese consumers is that interested in whale meat. In the 1960s, almost a quarter of a million tonnes were sold across Japan, a figure that has since fallen to around 3,000. Much of the meat from Japan’s “scientific whaling” now ends up as pet food.

There is no economic and ecological justification in slaughtering some of the planets most intelligent and in some cases highly endangered creatures.

Please send your answers to Duncan Griffiths, Room A208R Warbreck (or e-mail Duncan Griffiths - details in the GAL) to arrive no later than 14th January 2019

The winner will receive a mystery prize.

Please remember that Branch Executive Committee members cannot enter/ win the quizzes

Carl’s Curry Quiz

Question 1

Vindaloo is way too spicy for me. But from which region of India does Vindalooo originate?:

a) Goa

b) Assam

c) Punjab

d) Gujarat

e) Kashmir

Question 2

In which city is a balti thought to have been first developed?4th

BC

a) Manchester

b) Liverpool

c) Leeds

d) Glasgow

e) Birmingham

Question 3

What is ghee. Is it

a) Onions

b) Coconut Milk

c) Butter

d) Chili

e) Potato

Question 4

What colour is ground Turmeric?

a) Blue

b) Green

c) Black

d) Yellow

e) Grey

Question 5

Which Curry was in the film Legend. Was it

a) John

b) Michael

c) Graham

d) Reginald

e) Tim

Question 6

Back to the beginning, Vindaloo. Which "Les" had a hit with Vindaloo.

a) Slim

b) Fast

c) Wide

d) Fat

e) Short

Oooohhh, it's that Carl, back with another helping of my curry quiz.

Nowt hot mind. I have a very delicate palate. I prefer creamy Kormas with lots of cooling coconut milk.

Anyway on with the quiz….

DWP Fylde Branch

Proudly Present:

The 2019 Annual General Meeting Guest Speaker: Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary

Date: Thursday 28th February 2019.

Venue: The Warbreck Canteen.

Time: 3.00PM (Details of time for the meeting plus reasonable travel time will be issued nearer the date of the meeting)

For further details contact: Mick Daniels Fylde Branch Organiser Room C112R, Warbreck House Ext: 3186

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Work ‘resilience’ programmes stop ‘meaningful activity’ Workplace resilience programmes are of no proven value but could deflect energy from ‘meaningful activity’ researchers have warned. The initiatives, which are intended to bolster mental health and wellbeing, might not make any difference at all, according to the study published online in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The research, led by Dr Norman Jones of Kings College London, compared the impact of a resilience-based programme called SPEAR with standard training for new military recruits. The study found ‘no evidence’ that SPEAR made any difference to recruits’ mental health and wellbeing, their attitudes to mental illness and willingness to seek help for mental health or alcohol problems, or their perceptions of military leaders and their unit’s cohesion, when compared with standard training. The authors point out: “Many organisations search for a ‘silver bullet’ intervention that can be used to improve the mental health and wellbeing of their employees when time might be better spent refining leadership and building strong cohesion.” They conclude: “Although the current study found no benefit for a specific intervention, this is an important finding as a great deal of time and expenditure is spent implementing such interventions without establishing whether they are effective or not. Doing no harm is not a reasonable defence of an ineffective intervention as time spent in delivery effectively reduces the time available for engaging in more meaningful activity.” TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson said the paper reinforced concerns about resilience programmes at work the union body had raised consistently. “For several years now employers have sought to deal with stress through trying to change the worker by introducing resilience and similar training. The TUC has frequently said that there is no evidence that they make any difference. This research supports this, ” he said. “The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has got to stop allowing employers to get away with refusing to prevent workplace stress and start a programme of inspection and prosecution against those who continue to damage the health of their staff through ‘blame the worker’ initiatives such as resilience.”

Work wellbeing ‘compromised’ by ‘incoherent’ practices

Employee wellbeing is being compromised by a lack of understanding of how to implement effective programmes, a safety body has found. A new British Safety Council (BSC) ‘comprehensive review of the existing literature and market intelligence’ found only one in six (17 per cent) organisations evaluate the impact of their health and wellbeing initiatives. It also reported that in nearly two-thirds of companies (63 per cent), other priorities take precedence over employees’ wellbeing. The report, ‘Not just free fruit: wellbeing at work’, proposes a series of measures to assess and improve the effectiveness of wellbeing programmes and policies. BSC said its findings are ‘a call to action for employers in Britain to place the wellbeing needs of their workers at the top of the executive agenda.’ BSC chair Lawrence Waterman commented: “Too often, unlike the highly professional approach applied to risk assessment and risk control, wellbeing efforts have been marked by a combination of real enthusiasm and commitment married to a woeful ignorance of what will make a difference. This positivity could dissipate into incoherent programmes of free bananas and occasional ‘health weeks’, featuring Indian head massage and aromatherapy.”

He added: “The Wellbeing at work report represents the British Safety Council’s contribution to establishing rigorous, evidence-based workplace interventions which enhance the wellbeing of everyone involved. It calls for commitment, clear thinking and effective action, not only to make our workplaces healthy and safe, but also to make a tangible impact on improving the lives of all workers.” The report says employees must be given the opportunity to participate in the creation and development of initiatives designed to improve their own health and wellbeing. BSC adds that workers’ wellbeing “is linked to job quality, which is expressed through a healthy working environment, fair wages, strong relationships with managers and colleagues, job design, a degree of responsibility and authority, workload, working hours, and career development prospects.”

The PCS National Pay claim 2019 Cost of living In 2018 the PCS pay claim was for 5%. Pay in the public sector had fallen behind inflation by 3-4%. Research commissioned by PCS in 2016 showed that during the period 2017-2015, civil service pay had fallen behind inflation (CPI) by 8-9%, 5% further than in the rest of the public sector. With the Treasury remit limiting increases to 1-1.5% in 2018, civil service pay will have fallen even further behind the rest of the public sector. In 2018 unions in English local government and health negotiated agreements in excess of the 1% pay cap. In local government a 2 year pay deal is of between 15% and 4.3% for those on £16,000 – £25,000. In health pay will increase by 6.5% over 3 years. Consequently, these sectors will not be involved in pay campaigning in 2019. There is already evidence, however, that unions in Scotland are developing pay claims which are significantly in excess of 5% for 2019. Scottish teacher unions have united around a 2019 pay claim of 10% badged around a campaign “Value Teachers, Value Education”. They mobilised 30,000 teachers to protest in Glasgow on 27 October. All three Scottish local government trade unions are claiming 6.5%. Should this be unsuccessful, then the unions will proceed to organising statutory industrial action ballots, possibly early in the New Year. There is a high chance of the teachers and local government unions coming together to co-ordinate action. In Northern Ireland NIPSA have lodged a claim in September of 7% for its civil service members in NICS covering 2018-19. NIPSA argue their claim is “just and fair” representing a real terms loss over five years and they will not accept a 1% imposition. In Northern Ireland NIPSA have lodged a claim in September of 7% for its civil service members in NICS covering 2018-19. NIPSA argue their claim is “just and fair” representing a real terms loss over five years and they will not accept a 1% imposition. Collective bargaining The evidence unearthed during the course of the Judicial Review tells us that there is no collective bargaining machinery for pay in the Civil Service and its related areas and that any attempt to present the veneer of either national or delegated bargaining on pay is simply a pretence. In February 2018, while local government and health employers were negotiating a pay agreement, civil service employers met together in secret and agreed that the treasury pay remit should limit increases to 1-1.5% for 2019. This then formed the remit for pay bargaining in every devolved pay area. This is not a situation that any self-respecting trade union can countenance. We have spent many years attempting to address these deficiencies in talks with the employer. The election of a more favourably disposed Government aside, the evidence we are now armed with from the Judicial Review means that we will never have stronger grounds upon which to force the issue. We must now do so. Consequently, a key demand for our pay campaign should be a return of national pay bargaining for the UK civil service. Equality

In addition, in line with our equality objectives, we must seek to eradicate the inequities that exist within the current pay structures system by demanding coherence of pay and terms and conditions across those areas. Initial analysis of 2018 median pay shows concentrations of women in departments with lower median pay. Further research is needed, but the initial research suggests that at least in part the structures of delegated pay contribute to the gender pay gap.

Mick’s General Knowledge Quiz – the results

Mick here back with the results of my General Knowledge quiz – also known as Mickeypedia.

Have you spotted who I am in the picture, yes I am The Best from the Chase, next to me is Bradley Walsh

Here are the answers to my quiz

Answer 1

Liverpool FC last won the First Division/ Premier League in the season 1989/ 1990

Answer 2

Hodge-podge is a mutton soup

Answer 3

The giraffe mascot of Lancashire’s T20 side is Lanky

Answer 4

Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.

Answer

Ruby Murray is the cockney rhyming slang for a curry.

Answer 6

Gary Numan ordered battered jumbo sausage and chips for the entire of Tubeway Army when I saw them at the chippy. A true story.

The winner who received a mystery prize was Lesley Tague from Warbreck Well done, Mick

Research exposes 'significant issues' with MHFA at work Days after a plea was issued to Government for ‘mental health first aid’ (MHFA) to become mandatory, new research has highlighted “significant issues around the lack of clarity with boundaries and potential safety concerns”. The University of Nottingham feasibility study, published by the professional body for occupational safety and health IOSH, found both positives and areas for concern, including inadequate boundaries for employees and a lack of proof that MHFA is effective. Principal investigator Professor Avril Drummond, from the School of Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham, said: “We found examples of excellent practice in rolling out the mental health first aid training where there were clearly strategies in place to support staff who felt confident in their role. However, we also found examples where staff felt unsupported and where, for example, they had co-workers contacting them outside working hours: there were significant issues around lack of clarity with boundaries and potential safety concerns for the trained person.” Duncan Spencer, head of advice and practice at IOSH, said: “IOSH calls for a ‘prevention first’ approach incorporating MHFA as part of an organisation’s overall efforts to protect their workforce from mental health problems. Appointing staff in a volunteer capacity to support colleagues with mental health problems must be part of a bigger management system including preventative controls to remove or reduce risks.” TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson welcomed the report. “This is useful confirmation that MHFA training is not a solution to preventing and supporting those with stress related illnesses,” he said. “It can however help raise awareness of mental health issues in the workplace and signpost those with mental health issues towards appropriate support.”

Mick here with a music quiz, and this time I have written a quiz about the type of music I love – pure pop.

Great bands like XTC Thompson Twins and Deacon Blue. I love ‘em. So rather than questions about Wham, Bros, the Quo and the likes; this time the questions are from the heart.

Here are the questions.

Question 1

How many members were there of the Thompson Twins when they were at their height of popularity. Was it?

a) one

b) two

c) three

d) four

e) five

Question 2

XTC asked how we could feed love on what. Was it?

a) a Civil Service worker’s wages

b) the minimum wage

c) a butcher’s boy’s wages

d) a farmboy's wage

e) a sailor’s wages

Question 3

Wooo Woooooo. Time for some Deacon Blue. According to Deacon Blue what was the ship called. Was it

a) The Blue Peter

b) Horse

c) Dignity

d) Inclusivity

e) The Blue Pig

Question 4

Back to the Thompson Twins; I used to have a thin pony tale like Tom Bailey.

Which of the following was one their hits in 1984. Was it

a) Doctor! Doctor!

b) Doctor Who?

c) Doctor Love!

d) Doctor Know!!

e) Young Doctors

Question 5

According to XTC what were they trying to taste the difference 'tween. Was it?

a) High and Low

b) Sweet and Sour

c) Fish and Chips

d) A lemon and a lime

e) Lee and Leigh

Question 6

Back into the Blue. The Deacon Blue that is. Woooo woooooo?

According to the song, they were “a real gone”, what? Was it?

a) Goa

b) Girl

c) Foo

d) Guy

e) Kid

Please send your answers to Duncan Griffiths, Room A208R Warbreck (or e-mail Duncan Griffiths - details in the GAL) to arrive no later than 14th January 2019

The winner will receive a mystery prize.

Please remember that Branch Executive Committee members cannot enter/ win the quizzes

Micks Music Quiz

Call to make mental health as important as first aid

Business leaders and unions have called for mental health to be given the same weight as physical first aid in workplace legislation.

An open letter urging the Prime Minister, Theresa May to prioritise manifesto pledges to act on mental health has been signed by some of Britain’s biggest employers, including Royal Mail, WH Smith, Mace, Channel 4 and Ford, as well as the unions Unite, NASUWT and Community.

The Prime Minister said last year she would shake up mental health service provision, describing the shortfall as “one of the burning injustices in our country”.

The joint letter calls for the Government to overhaul health and safety rules to equip first aiders to deal with early signs of mental health problems, as much as handing out bandages or performing CPR. It said employers’ duty of care should mean “equalising their number of mental health first aiders with physical first aiders” and trying to “break the stigma of mental health in the workplace.”

Simon Blake chief executive of Mental Health First Aid England, said: “The principle [of physical first aid training] is enshrined in workplace law. Just as a physical first aider might know how to use CPR to save a life or put someone in the recovery position, a mental health first aider also uses a set of skills to guide a person who is struggling or in crisis to a place of safety and support.”

TUC head of health and safety Hugh Robertson said while the letter raised important points, mental health first aid (MHFA) alone would not get to the core of the issue. “Our view is simple, while MHFA training can be a useful way of raising awareness of mental health issues, the TUC is concerned that too many employers see it as the first line response to dealing with preventable workplace issues and it must never be seen as a substitute for a good and effective stress management policy underlined by line manager training. Nor can it be an alternative to providing comprehensive occupational health support.”

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) research report this year confirmed that as yet there is ‘no evidence’ that MHFA training leads to improvements.

Name: Katya (Katz) Lawder

Age :

Catchphrase : I don’t wish to be rude but………………

Branch Role: Treasurer/Learning Officer

Where : Warbreck House

Greatest Achievement : Getting my degree despite my Learning Difficulties

Favourite Holiday : Orlando

Book to take on a long journey : anything by Tom Holt, Robert Rankin, any of the Harry Potters

Biggest Disaster : oh……. So many……….. does knocking myself out walking into a safe at work count…….. or breaking my knuckle on one of the new fangled water fountains!

Favorite Quote : “A women is like a tea bag – you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Favourite Food and Drink : Tea, Tea and more Tea – I quite like a bit of cake too!

Best Band : I can’t do this – only one – nope – I am not choosing – considering I have a Life Of Agony tattoo

Favourite Movie : The Flight of Dragons, any of the original ( and true) Star Wars, any of the Harry Potters or anything with Robots, Ninjas, Aliens or Magik (with a K of course) in!

MEET THE REP…

Katya Lawder

WHO AM I ?

Fun Facts that people don’t know about me…

I am a certified Minister of the Universal Church of Life!

I am a guerrilla knitter/crocheter – you may

have seen some of our woolly work around town and South

Shore

I used to play drums in a punk band that only

covered kid’s TV themes and we were called C-oi-TV