UNISON leading the way

“UNISON is again leading the way on employment rights,” general secretary Dave Pentis told the UNISON national executive council when it met in London today, on the same day that the union’s legal representatives appeared at the Supreme Court over careworkers’ right to be paid the minimum wage for sleep-in shifts. On top of that, Mr Prentis told the meeting, UNISON is taking more industrial action than any other union. Despite the 2017 Trade Union Act, designed to make it harder for workers to take action, he said, in more and more local disputes, mainly involving women, the union is reaching the 50% ballot turn-out target the law requires for action to take place. In particular, he cited the recent successful action by NHS workers in Northern Ireland demanding pay parity with colleagues in the rest of the UK. The dispute won the reinstatement of Agenda for Change terms, and was instrumental in restoring the Northern Ireland Assembly and executive at Stormont as ministers needed to be in place to agree the deal. “It was a tremendous dispute and a tremendous achievement,” said Mr Prentis. Speaking on the eve of the union’s women’s conference, he listed a string of disputes across the union and across the country and pointed out that “very low-paid women are turning round and saying: ‘We’re not accepting it’.” And that is why UNISON is being successful. “We as a union should be encouraging members who want to take action and helping them do it.” Th...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: News Industrial action national executive council NEC Palestine Windrush Source Type: news