|
Government Minister tells retail workers extra holidays will be paid
TRADE and Industry Minister Gerry Sutcliffe has told retail staff
that new rights to time off for bank holidays will give the extra
time off as paid. The Minister was speaking to delegates at Usdaw's
annual Retail Trades Conference and the new rights to paid time off
for bank holidays would effectively increase the minimum paid
holidays from 20 days per year to 28 days. Usdaw has been at the
forefront of the campaign to make sure the extra days holiday were
paid and union leaders are delighted that the Government wants to
make sure millions of retail workers will be properly rewarded for
working days when most others are on leave with their families.
"It is very important to our members and to millions of
hard-working staff in retail and the service sector that they
receive paid time off for bank holidays," says Usdaw general
secretary John Hannett. "This was an issue that Usdaw took up
at the historic Warwick policy forum and we were delighted that the
Government agreed it. At Warwick, we all understood that workers
would be entitled to extra paid time off otherwise most cannot
afford to take unpaid time off. But the Labour Party would not make
this clear in the manifesto, and the wording in the recent Work and
Families Bill does not specify that the time off will be paid, so
Gerry's confirmation is very important to us. Many staff in retail
have to work on bank holidays so at the very least they deserve to
be able to take a days paid holiday to make up for that time. We
know from our members that many of them have to work Boxing Day and
New Year's Eve which can affect their family's enjoyment of the
festive season so this new announcement will at least give something
back to hard working staff for their commitment."
|
High-Rise Media
ARENA Housing Association residents in Sefton Park, Liverpool, have
their very own 'TV channel', keeping them in touch with their
association and each other, thanks to a revolutionary online project
called 'tenantspin', which is live and interactive and produced by
tenants of the high rise flats.
A new community centre recently built by Arena in Sefton Park,
includes a custom built, fully equipped studio, to house future
broadcasts for the channel, which encourages residents to discuss
participation, regeneration and social housing issues. A recent
event to celebrate the opening of the community centre also marked
the successful completion of another phase of a £30 million project
to comprehensively refurbish 6 high rise tower blocks in Sefton
Park. The community centre was officially opened by Dame Mavis
McDonald, the permanent secretary at the Office of the Deputy Prime
Minister.
tenantspin is a unique community project looking at high-rise
living, art, new technology, regeneration and resident
participation. It allows those involved to prepare and host their
own debates, on issues important to them, to share information and
provides a link between residents and staff through question and
answer sessions. The project was originally set up by the Liverpool
Housing Action Trust (LHAT) and is run in partnership with the
Foundation for Art & Creative Technology (FACT).
The association is currently exploring broadband options to allow
the tenants, which have recently transferred to Arena, to watch
shows online. However, once the refurbishment programme has been
completed, the residents will be able to watch the channel on their
televisions via a satellite link. The community centre also includes
an office for the Sefton Park Community Association, which will be
responsible for the management of the centre, a therapy/beauty room,
and a space for community activities. There is a main hall with
dance floor and a kitchen/servery area to cater for around 80
people.
The community centre is just one part of a major refurbishment
project taking shape in Sefton Park. Around £30m will be spent on
the 6 tower blocks, with LHAT providing grant assistance of over
£13m towards the total cost.
Arena Housing Association manages over 13,000 houses and flats in
the North West, predominantly in Chester, Halton, Knowsley, Sefton,
St Helens, Warrington, Wigan and Wirral, as well as in its head
office city of Liverpool. The association also provides services
such as supported housing for vulnerable tenants; the Care and
Repair initiative to help older, disabled or low-income homeowners;
assistance in helping the long-term unemployed get back into work;
and shared ownership initiatives, which enable limited income people
to enjoy the benefits of home ownership.
|
