Democracy in action, not just lip service – help run this union
The election for the NEC of UNISON is underway. This is the largest election within UNISON that takes place every two years, where the whole union, every member, takes part in electing the most senior body of activists in the union. What is happening, when and why is voter turnout important? Here’s our guide to everything you need to know. Why is this happening? The National Executive Council (NEC) is elected by our members every two years. The election timetable and procedures were agreed and published by the union’s NEC at the end of last year. Who is eligible to vote? All full members who were on the union’s membe...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - April 17, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Martin Cullen Tags: Article NEC NEC elections 2023 Source Type: news

UNISON secures equal pay for 800 workers in Brighton and Hove
Around 800 Brighton and Hove city council workers, many of whom are women working in care, will see pay improved in line with refuse and recycling workers. They will also receive a settlement of up to £2000. The equal pay issue started in 2013 when a special bank holiday payment, the Resident’s Services Guarantee (RSG), was negotiated for workers in refuse and recycling.  The majority of workers benefitting from the payment in refuse and recycling were men, and the majority of those employees also working bank holidays but not receiving the RSG were low-paid women workers, many working in the care sector.  UNISON was ...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - April 14, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News equal pay low-paid women Source Type: news

Care Quality Commission staff  will work to rule over pay, says UNISON  
Hundreds of staff at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) are to work to rule from next week in a dispute over pay, says their union UNISON today (Friday). CQC staff, who belong to UNISON, including inspectors of health and social care organisations, workers in call centres and data analysts, will be among those taking action short of a strike from Monday (17 April).CQC employees will do no more than the minimum required under their job contracts, says UNISON. This includes only working the hours they are paid for, not doing overtime and taking all the breaks to which they are entitled. In March, more than 700 workers rep...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - April 14, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release CQC MAtthew Egan Source Type: news

UNISON launches new migrant member network
For the first time, UNISON members are now able to self-identify as a migrant worker. The UNISON migrant worker network is an informal network of UNISON members with a first-generation immigrant background including overseas and migrant workers, EU settled status workers and workers who have subsequently naturalised as British citizens or who have indefinite leave to remain. A leaflet promoting UNISON’s migrant workers network, as well as our free immigration helpline for members and their families, is available to download here. UNISON Migrant worker members can access expert migrant rights advice and support for themse...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - April 12, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News migrant workers Source Type: news

Environment agency workers to walk out for four more days, says UNISON
Thousands of Environment Agency workers in England are to strike for four days over pay later this month, blaming government inaction for putting communities, waters and wildlife at risk, says UNISON today (Wednesday). Despite months of strikes and other action where workers have taken themselves off ‘on call’ incident response rotas, ministers have made no attempt to invite unions in for pay talks, says UNISON. The union’s latest action means staff working on coastal sea defences, protecting communities from floods, tackling water pollution, waste fires and fly-tipping will strike from 7pm next Friday (14 April). ...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - April 5, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release Donna Rowe-Merriman environment agency Source Type: news

UNISON launches its campaign for a National Care Service in England
UNISON today launched its campaign for a National Care Service in England, a nationally recognised institution that will bring about consistent standards of care for older and disabled people, and consistent terms and conditions for the workforce. Most social care in England is commissioned by local government and delivered by private and independent companies. The system has been run down by a combination of huge funding cuts to councils and profit extraction by some providers. National care standards are not properly enforced and care workers often face poverty wages and exploitation. As the largest union in the care sec...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - April 5, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: News national care service social care Source Type: news

Blog: Launching UNISON ’ s campaign for a National Care Service
It’s clear to everyone that social care is broken. During the pandemic, this crucial public service was left exposed to the ravages of COVID-19. Care workers forced to work without PPE, no sick pay for self-isolation and older and disabled patients discharged from hospitals into care homes while COVID-positive. It led to a national tragedy and the scale of loss was among the worse in Europe. But the problems in social care didn’t start when COVID-19 arrived. For decades, governments have tried to run our social care system as a privatised bargain basement service, where care workers are left unsupported and care recipi...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - April 5, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Christina McAnea Tags: General Secretary General Secretary's blog News adult social care national care service Source Type: news

Mediterranean diet ‘can reduce heart attacks in people at higher risk’
First study of its kind finds diet can benefit hundreds of millions with obesity, diabetes or other risk factorsA Mediterranean diet can lower the risk of a heart attack, stroke or early death for hundreds of millions of people who have an increased possibility of cardiovascular disease, a global review of evidence suggests.A diet rich in olive oil, nuts, seafood, whole grains and vegetables has previously been linked to a number of benefits, and its effectiveness in helping healthy people to live longer is well known.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 29, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Andrew Gregory Health editor Tags: Food science Medical research Health & wellbeing Diets and dieting Heart attack Diabetes Life and style Society Source Type: news

Environment agency workers begin fresh wave of industrial action
Today thousands of Environment Agency (EA) workers in England will stop weekend attendance at incidents such as floods, water pollution, spills, waste fires and fly-tipping. The industrial action is set to continue for three weeks, with workers refusing to volunteer for ‘on call’ cover between Friday evening and Monday morning. Where there is a threat to life from incidents such as a major flood, officers will step in as emergency ‘life and limb cover’ has been agreed by the union. This new wave of industrial action follows a 12-hour walk out in February (pictured), when workers attended pickets out...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - March 17, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News environment agency Environment agency strike Source Type: news

UNISON to recommend acceptance of NHS pay offer  
Commenting on the 2022/23 and 2023/24 pay offer to NHS staff in England, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:   “It’s a shame it took so long to get here. Health workers had to take many days of strike action, and thousands more had to threaten to join them, to get their unions into the room and proper talks underway.  “But following days of intensive talks between the government, unions and employers, there’s now an offer on the table for NHS staff.  “If accepted, the offer would boost pay significantly this year and mean a wage increase next year that’s more than the governmen...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - March 16, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release nhs pay Sara Gorton Source Type: news

Bristol healthcare assistants win over £1m in re-banding victory
Over 2,000 healthcare assistants in Bristol hospitals have been re-banded from Band 2 to Band 3 and received up to £4,000 backpay after a UNISON campaign revealed they had been performing clinical duties and patient observations above their grade. This is the latest victory in UNISON’s ‘pay fair for patient care’ campaign, which saw hospital workers in Manchester win significant back pay last year. The union has now won significant backpay for members working in the two biggest hospitals in Bristol: North Bristol Trust and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust. Workers with over four years’ ...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - March 16, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article HCA pay HCAs health pay fair for patient care Source Type: news

‘ We need to outlaw fire and rehire forever, ’ declares UNISON community conference  
Delegates gathered at UNISON’s community conference in Bournemouth on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 March to pass key motions on fire and rehire, low-paid workers being charged for DBS checks and sick pay for social carers. Fire and rehire One of the first motions passed was on fire and rehire – a hostile employment practice where an employer seeks to terminate workers’ existing contracts and rehire them under new terms. Delegates heard how the tactic has been prevalent in the community and voluntary sectors for decades, and without proper legislative protection employers will continue to use this dodgy practice. Dismissa...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - March 9, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article 2023 National Community Conference and Seminar fire and rehire low-paid social care Source Type: news

Christina McAnea is one of this year ’ s 100 Women in Westminster
UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea is one of this year’s 100 Women in Westminster. Women in Westminster: The 100 celebrates the achievements and the valuable role women play in public life by recognising one hundred women from across the world of Westminster, who are not only influential in their own field, but who possess the talent and platform to inspire the next generation to make a difference in Westminster and beyond. Ms McAnea attended a reception in parliament last night to celebrate the event. Commenting on her listing, Ms McAnea said: “It’s incredibly humbling to be part of this list of inf...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - March 7, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article Source Type: news

Survey: Have your say about your choices at work
UNISON has partnered with the Work Foundation at Lancaster University to research the decisions people make about work and the choices available to them.  There is a survey available for UNISON members to take. The findings will contribute toward UNISON’s wider policy and campaigning, helping the union fight for the right changes and support for members. The researchers are interested in understanding what factors affect people’s decisions when deciding to take on work and what improvements could make employment fit people’s needs better.  UNISON policy officer Michelle Singleton said: “Real choice in the work we...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - March 7, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article campaign flexible working survey Source Type: news

Health unions to consider invite from government to enter formal pay talks through NHS staff council
Commenting on the invitation received today (Thursday) from the government for health unions to attend formal pay talks, chair of the union group on the NHS staff council and UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:  “Health unions will need to clarify the basis upon which talks can get underway through the NHS staff council.   “This includes understanding the status of the unilateral talks that have taken place with the Royal College of Nursing.”  Secretary of the NHS group of unions and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy assistant director of employment relations Elaine Sparkes said: “Once the ...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - March 2, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Lucy Shaddock Tags: News Press release nhs pay nhs strikes Put NHS pay right Source Type: news