Members of the union UNISON who participate in round-table discussions with activist group Generation Rents are to receive gift vouchers for their trouble.
A statement on the union website says: “The roundtables in mid-April will be open to all union members who privately rent, and participants’ time will be reimbursed with gift vouchers.”
The union says it’s working with Generation Rent to improve conditions in the private rented sector in England and wants to ensure that the Renters Reform Bill provides what it calls ”a lasting solution to our broken private rented system.”
UNISON assistant policy officer Sylvia Jones says: “UNISON and Generation Rent share a vision that private renters deserve the right to a decent, secure and affordable home. Currently, private renters are at the sharp end of the housing crisis, with a higher proportion of their income going on housing costs, but often living in poorly maintained homes.
“With so many working people struggling to pay the rent, now is the time for the voices of renters to be heard and for politicians to wake up and introduce fairness in renting.”
UNISON member Ann McKelvey - who has worked in education for 24 years and is currently an employability skills and pastoral tutor in Leeds - says on the union statement that she cannot afford her rent.
She comments: “I’ve maxed out my credit cards and I owe money to my friends and family. I haven’t paid my gas, electric or council tax in a year. I care about young people’s education. It’s always been a big thing for me to see kids thrive, but this work doesn’t pay. It makes me feel worthless. I’m doing my best but feel so undervalued, it’s like I’m being punished for working in a school.
“Landlords don’t want to keep up their properties, and they always find a way to pass the costs onto us. If I was in a council property, I’d be paying £300 less in rent than I am now. But there are no council properties. We need more council homes.”
The roundtables are a bid, the union says, to “gain more insight into the issues our members face, raise this with politicians and fight for improved rights, protections and affordable housing for private renters.”
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Lefties talking to lefties dreaming up ideas all with OTHER PEOPLES’ PROPERTY. 🤩. Nothing to see here.
We've all got the right to eat too... Doesn't mean we take control of the supermarkets and steal their food. When are they going to accept that our properties are owned by US? Never, I suspect.
Perhaps it would be more fruitful to have open discussions with landlords and try to understand the problems of both sides rather than just come out whit the daily whinge, landlord beating and bribing UNISON members?
Sounds like she has problems with budgeting. Not paying council tax or utility bills is her choice and this has direct impact on every tax payer. Sounds like one selfish person, what has a landlord got to do with her mis management of money.
Passionate about education is code for cannot be bothered doing a proper job.
I see more issues than affordable rent here.
Minimum wage for teachers, council tax and utility bills too high.
But we are easy targets without the any propaganda machines behind us defending our position.
I for one think that we need to build a lot more council houses or at least the councils should be buying up houses and renting them out.
Have a look at teacher pay scales - way above minimum wage for short days and long holidays.
My wife was a teacher for about 30 years as it suited when our kids were at school for the same hours and had the same holidays.
Her pension started out being a lot less than mine as I earned a lot more for working many more hours. However after about 10 years of inflation linked rises it's now about the same and will soon be higher.
All public sector employees do well with their generous pensions funded by the taxpayer.
It's time this injustice was stopped as taxpayers are paying for their own pension AND those of retired public sector employees.
If I was in a council property, I’d be paying £300 less in rent than I am now.' Many councils sold off their properties because they couldn't afford to run / maintain them & if private LLs cut that amount off everyone's rent they'd go bust. Who does she think should fill this financial gap?
Tricia you make a very valid point and let me guess you didn't waste 24 years stuck in a book or complaining what a bad hand life has dealt you.
She seems to be quite proud she has cranked every credit card up to the ceiling and not paid any bills for over a year? Honestly the unions have a lot to answer for as do so called education bodies as obviously she did not read math!!
Basically she is a thief. Taking goods and services without paying for them. Virtue signalling with her do gooding job, which sounds good but we have no idea what the results are. Whats pastoral care ?
Pastoral care is basically giving everyone a cuddle who's gotten hurt feelings!
Peter, so a fancy name for a non-job. 😂
How can someone who is clearly unemployable in the real world teach employability skills?
I was never given any employability training, got offered every student summer job, every graduate training position and most subsequent jobs that I applied for.
Indeed my apparent attractiveness to potential employers seemed to change quite suddenly when I became older and much more experienced than the HR box ticker interviewing me - then even the interviews were no longer offered.
Running a business in my 50's I had a great choice of older workers that younger employers wouldn't consider.
How does this woman suggest older interviewees disguise their age and experience?
Jay. I agree totally with your first paragraph but not with the second no matter what you Build it will never be enough, the more you Build the longer the queue you will create for Council subsidised housing. As now I know of people booked into Hotel B&B but didn’t actually stay there just pop in now & then and living else where, god help the taxpayers.
Ann Mckelvey. What a waste of education how many minds have you corrupted in 24 years.
Everyone knows the Private Rented Sector wasn’t broken until Housing Secretary Michael Gove and all you anti Private Landlord lobbyists started breaking it for Big Fat Boys Business to take over/ Corporate, Institutions & Pension Funds etc, are you secretly getting paid or hoping for a soft job with one of those, clearly anything you have done hasn’t helped the Tenants but the reverse. Can you not find a real job.
This is why Blair wanted the young to go to uni so they could be brain washed, and that has certainly been working
Blair's legacies:
Mickey Mouse degrees for kids who would have earned far more in good trades and Mickey Mouse politicians in devolved administrations fomenting discontent and division in a formerly United Kingdom.
PS. Don't mention the War!
The rent reform bill has already failed with 65% of Private landlords selling up.
All the homeless will now fall back to the councils for homes which we all know are not available..!!
The result is the tenants lose out !!!!
I hope her gas and electric have been cut off. Why should everyone else subsidise her? What a waste of twenty four years, but as a UNISON member, what a waste of a life!
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