Water firm wrongly downgraded pollution events, documents suggest
The Environment Agency guidance says category 4 should only be used where either pollution doesn't get into the water course, or where it is of such insignificance that it doesn't have an impact, for example a "trickle into a large water course". The Environment Agency insider said it was a…#environmentagency (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - December 4, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
New Environment Agency offer means strike suspension and pay talks
The four-day strike that had been due to take place from Friday 3 November involving hundreds of Environment Agency workers represented by UNISON has been suspended to allow pay talks to happen.
Staff working to protect communities from the aftermath of Storm Babet and the onslaught of Storm Ciarán were reluctantly due to walk out from 7am on Friday until 7am on Monday as part of their long-standing dispute over pay, says UNISON.
The decision to call off the strike was taken after the Environment Agency confirmed ministers had given it permission to negotiate a new offer* to give employees a long-overdue wa...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - November 2, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Dan Ashley Tags: News Press release environment agency pay talks Source Type: news
Pay claim submitted on behalf of Environment Agency staff
UNISON and the joint trade unions have submitted a pay claim for 2023/24 seeking an increase of at least 13.2% for Environment Agency (EA) staff.
The unions’ fully-evidenced claim reflects how union members who remain in dispute over the 2022/23 pay award of 2% plus £345 have made it clear that the previous year’s uplift was not acceptable during the height of the cost of living crisis, with inflation running in double digits and with the wages of the lowest paid falling below the National Living Wage in April.
The lack of a significant uplift has created a ‘grade drift’ across all roles in comparison to p...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - September 18, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Martin Cullen Tags: Article environment agency WET Source Type: news
Blog: Climate change is real, destructive and is an absolute emergency
Just acknowledging climate change isn’t enough. And we can’t wait for the Tories to find a politically convenient time to deal with it.
We must pull together and champion the urgent action needed to meet this challenge head on.
The overwhelming scale of climate-related disasters surrounds us every week, and UNISON is not shying away from facing this existential threat.
For those unfamiliar with it, Green UNISON Week means seven days to champion and promote the engagement and activity that UNISON does all year round on tackling climate change.
Because for UNISON, it couldn’t be more clear that all areas of public ser...
Source: UNISON Health care news - September 15, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Christina McAnea Tags: General Secretary's blog News Green UNISON Week Source Type: news
Environment Agency failing to monitor water firms in England, data suggests
The Environment Agency is failing to regularly audit water companies to check they are telling the truth about pollution and illegal sewage dumping in England, the Guardian can reveal. The audits contribute to the star rating companies are given for environmental performance by the watchdog. Some…#environmentagency #guardian #foi #ea #ashleysmith #wasp #audits #jamesbevan #bevan #ofwat (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - September 13, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Ex-environment secretary to take role at UK waste firm fined for polluting water
A former UK environment secretary is to take a consultancy role with a waste management firm that had to pay £36,000 after an Environment Agency (EA) investigation found contamination of groundwater at a site. George Eustice, who was the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs…#ea #georgeeustice #augean #whitehall #eustice #augeansouth #northamptonshire #liberaldemocrats #christinejardine #cabinetoffice (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - September 2, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Environment Agency staff set for out-of-hours ban
Thousands of Environment Agency (EA) workers in England will stop out-of-hours attendance at incidents such as floods, water pollution, spills, waste fires and fly-tipping this weekend, in their ongoing pay dispute.
The industrial action, which starts at 9am tomorrow (Saturday), is set to continue for a month, with workers refusing to volunteer for on-call cover outside of contracted hours until 19 September.
Officers will step in where there is a threat to life, from incidents such as a major flood, as emergency life and limb cover has been agreed by the union.
This new wave of industrial action follows months of industri...
Source: UNISON Health care news - August 18, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News environment agency Industrial action Source Type: news
UNISON urges pensions regulator to press for stronger data safety
UNISON has written to the pensions regulator to press for stronger protections to ensure that members’ pensions are safe, after outsourcing firm Capita experienced hacking attacks in March and May this year.
Among the data that has been compromised is information entrusted to Capita by some 450 pension schemes.
UNISON members are in some of the schemes and funds affected, including the Environment Agency Pension Fund (EAPF), Natural Resources Wales, the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and some local government pension funds. Capita has stated that its own pension scheme data has also been compromised, affecting...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - July 19, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News capita data protection pensions Source Type: news
Public services can help create a kinder, fairer society, says UNISON
Addressing the union’s annual conference in Liverpool today (Wednesday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:
“This year thousands of public sector workers in UNISON have voted for strike action. Environment Agency, CQC and university staff are still in dispute.
“Local government workers in England and Wales are currently voting for strike action, with others to follow in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
“Council services are too often overlooked. It’s only when there’s no one to fill the potholes or empty the bins that anyone notices. When there are no urgent care packages available or no support for ...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - June 14, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Anthony Barnes Tags: News Press release 2023 National Delegate Conference Christina McAnea Source Type: news
‘ We remain strong and defiant ’
UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea today praised the thousands of members and activists who have “risen up and grabbed the opportunities of our campaigns and action.”
Ms McAnea opened a wide-ranging and quietly passionate speech to national delegate conference with a simple observation – “What a year we’ve had” – before presenting a list of achievements that were “changing history” and the lives of members throughout the UK.
These were “the picket lines, demos, rallies and campaigns that UNISON has either led, or supported, across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, all through the...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 14, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: Article News 2023 National Delegate Conference 2023 year of Black Workers Christina McAnea general secretary Source Type: news
Water, environment and transport conference held in Liverpool
UNISON’s annual water, environment and transport (WET) conference met yesterday in Liverpool and opened with a speech from UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards (pictured above).
Environment agency pay
He opened by highlighting the situation that the country faced when conference last convened a year ago: “Inflation was ramping up and by the end of the year was at levels we haven’t seen for 40 years. Government borrowing soared and interest rates have climbed since.
“More people pushed into poverty, more hardworking people faced with the choice between eating, paying their mortgages, buying school uniform...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 12, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Simon Jackson Tags: Article News 2023 National WET Conference environment agency Environment agency strike Source Type: news
Water, energy and transport conference held in Liverpool
UNISON’s annual water, environment and transport (WET) conference met yesterday in Liverpool and opened with a speech from UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards (pictured above).
Environment agency pay
He opened by highlighting the situation that the country faced when conference last convened a year ago: “Inflation was ramping up and by the end of the year was at levels we haven’t seen for 40 years. Government borrowing soared and interest rates have climbed since.
“More people pushed into poverty, more hardworking people faced with the choice between eating, paying their mortgages, buying school uniform...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - June 12, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Simon Jackson Tags: Article News 2023 National WET Conference environment agency Environment agency strike Source Type: news
High levels of drugs found in sea off south England coast
Study says marine life being harmed by prescription and recreational drugs in wastewaterA study looking at water pollution on the south coast of England has revealed high levels of potentially harmful chemicals including recreational drugs and antidepressants.Scientists involved in the research say marine life is being harmed by human drugs, pointing to evidence that oestrogen in water can feminise male fish through biological changes.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - June 9, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Harriet Grant Tags: Water Pollution Utilities Environment Drugs Science Environment Agency Waste England UK news Marine life Oceans Source Type: news
UNISON writes to civil service boss for clarity over pay offer
UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea has written to cabinet secretary Simon Case, the head of the home civil service, to raise the question of pay.
The union has members working for the civil service itself and for various agencies and regulatory bodies, including Ofsted, the Environment Agency and the Probation Service.
The letter makes reference to a recent offer of an unconsolidated payment of £1,500 in recognition of how the cost of living crisis is affecting employees.
This, says UNISON, is welcome, but it seeks clarity on a number of points, including:
that the offer is in respect of the 2022/23 pay year;
how ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 9, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News Christina McAnea civil service environment agency LGPS Ofsted Source Type: news
EA workers renew strike mandate
UNISON has announced that Environment Agency members have secured a mandate for strike action over the next six months after the recent industrial action ballot.
The new mandate marks a continuation of the dispute, begun last year, where EA members voted for strike action over pay for the first time in the agency’s history.
Donna Rowe-Merriman, national secretary for the sector, said: “Workers have endured over a decade of pay erosion where the value of their pay has reduced by over 20%, and have said enough is enough.
“The result demonstrates that EA members have not been disheartened by lack of action from the gove...
Source: UNISON Health care news - May 31, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Simon Jackson Tags: Article News environment agency Environment agency strike Source Type: news
