Blog: Internationalism has always been at the heart of our work

Since our union was established 25 years ago, internationalism has always been at the heart of our work. It’s one of the reasons why UNISON is so widely respected around the world – we don’t just talk about our values, we live them and put them into practise. Our work in Liberia is just one example. Shortly before the Ebola virus struck in 2014, 22 health union leaders were dismissed by the Liberian government for organising a national strike for safer working conditions in the health sector. From day one, our union stood alongside them and campaigned for their reinstatement. Finally, following a four year international campaign for their reinstatement, the last two – general secretary George Poe Williams and president Joseph Tamba – have returned to work. When Ebola struck, Liberia had one of world’s lowest levels of health workers per head of population. Its weak and underfunded health system was rapidly overwhelmed, contributing the deaths of almost 5,000 people, including 192 health workers. Working conditions were often unsafe for patients and workers, and essential personal protective equipment was almost never available. The National Health Workers Association of Liberia (NAHWAL) repeatedly attempted to warn the Liberian government of the challenges in the health sector but their demands were ignored. Worse still, the government used Liberia’s draconian civil service code to deny health workers and all public service workers the right to organise ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: General secretary's blog News Source Type: news