Opinion: Every day, UNISON is fighting for our NHS

I’ve just delivered my speech to UNISON’s health members at their annual gathering in Brighton. I spoke about the immense pressures on NHS staff – caring for more patients, with fewer staff, in less time. But I also spoke about the support UNISON gives them to find their voice and help drive through the campaigns that matter most to them. It’s always important for me to remind our members that UNISON is standing by them, backing them up and fighting their corner. That’s needed more than ever right now, because health workers are having to take time off for mental health issues and many are walking out completely for better paid and less stressful jobs at supermarkets down the road. What has struck me most about this year’s health conference, is the number of contributions from tearful health workers, detailing the struggle they have with getting by day to day. Juggling caring responsibilities with tough jobs, on low pay, with little respite. To top it off, they’re facing abuse and sexual harassment at work, and they don’t feel safe enough to report it. This is what neglecting our NHS looks like. It affects every part of the service and the workforce. After 14 years of Tory failure, it’s UNISON’s mission to defend the NHS from being driven into complete rack and ruin. Every day, UNISON is fighting for our NHS and for the decent pay that staff deserve. Our re-banding campaigns continue across almost every region, and our agenda for change pay consultation is...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article General Secretary's blog News 2024 National Health Conference Source Type: news