Ministers must invest in Environment Agency staff or communities will be at long-term risk
Thousands of Environment Agency staff who play a vital role in protecting communities across England will walk out today (Wednesday) as they strike over pay for the first time*, says UNISON.
River inspectors, flood forecasting officers, coastal risk management officers, sewage plant attendants and staff at the Thames Barrier are among those escalating their industrial action after refusing to do voluntary overtime in the run up to and during the festive period**.
Under-pressure staff say they’ve voted to strike over pay because over the years the government’s failure to fund the Environment Agency properly ha...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - January 18, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Anthony Barnes Tags: News Press release environment agency Source Type: news
Three things you need to know about the anti-strike bill
The UK is seeing record levels of strike action as ambulance workers, nurses, transport workers and teachers take a stand against the crisis in our public services.
Yet, rather than engaging with the people who keep our country running, or finding solutions to staffing shortages and waiting lists, the government is intent on punishing frontline workers when they speak out.
UNISON believes that the new anti-strike bill, named the Minimum Service Levels Bill, is a full-frontal attack on working people and the trade unions they organise within. It seeks to drastically curtail labour rights in the UK and encourages employers t...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - January 16, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article anti-strike bill minimum service levels bill Source Type: news
The streets of London – pictures from the picket lines
Wednesday’s day of strike action in the ambulance service, across England, saw pickets throughout London.
Touring the capital was UNISON head of health Sara Gorton – above, with pickets at Waterloo – moving from there, where she addressed massed ranks of news media, to sites including Deptford and Greenwich.
She was accompanied by photographer Marcus Rose, who recorded events.
Christina McAnea tours pickets in Yorkshire and the North East
Through sun and rain, on the picket lines in Bristol
#PutNHSpayright – our rolling covering from the day itself
The article The streets of London ...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - January 13, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News Ambulance Strike Industrial action NHS NHS Strike Put NHS pay right Source Type: news
Welsh government ’s NHS pay move increases pressure on Westminster, says UNISON
Commenting on Mark Drakeford’s offer today (Thursday) of additional money for health workers across Wales, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:
“This significantly ups the pressure on Westminster. Rishi Sunak must now explain why the first ministers in Scotland and Wales can dig deep for NHS staff, but his government can’t.
“The latest NHS England figures show ambulance delays and waiting times in A&E are the worst ever, leaving the prime minister and the chancellor with nowhere to hide.
“Unless ministers move quickly to boost pay for health workers in England, it’ll be pla...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - January 12, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release nhs pay Sara Gorton Source Type: news
Patients would be better served if ministers solved NHS disputes instead of picking fights
Speaking on the eve of a second strike at five English ambulance services and reacting to new government legislation aimed at curbing strikes, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said today (Tuesday): “Ministers can’t make these disputes disappear simply by making up new laws.“Health workers are stretched beyond breaking point. They don’t need lecturing on providing safe patient care by a government that’s spent the past decade starving the health service of funding and underpaying staff.“Ministers have finally got around the table to talk about the one issue that will solve this dispute – a wage ...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - January 10, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Sophie Goodchild Tags: News Press release strike bill Source Type: news
I ’ m a paramedic – here ’ s why I ’ m striking
This article first appeared in The New Statesman on 2 December.
The article I’m a paramedic – here’s why I’m striking first appeared on the UNISON National site. (Source: UNISON meat hygiene)
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - January 10, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: Article Blogs News NHS nhs strikes Put NHS pay right Source Type: news
Blog: Ambulance workers will walk out on Wednesday – and I ’ ll be out on the picket with them
Our next strike days in the NHS will go ahead on Wednesday 11thJanuary and Monday 23rd January, despite last minute talks between UNISON, other health unions and the secretary of state for health and social care.
Our head of health, Sara Gorton, was at the meeting and was interviewed by the press immediately afterwards. Sara explained how the government has moved from the position they’ve held for months, but there was a lack of clarity or concrete proposals and so our strike on Wednesday is still on.
Of course, our industrial action could have been avoided entirely if the government had opened up pay negotiations with u...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - January 9, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Christina McAnea Tags: General secretary's blog News Ambulance Strike ambulance workers NHS Strike Source Type: news
A commitment to boost wages would mean unions may call off the strikes, says UNISON
Reacting to the Prime Minister’s comments today (Sunday) ahead of tomorrow’s meeting between health unions, NHS employers and the secretary of state, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:
“Health workers will be hoping the Prime Minister’s comments mean the talks can go beyond hearing solely about the pay review body evidence for the year from April.
“The earliest that process could finish is months away in May. The health secretary needs to set out what the government can do right now to prevent the dispute from continuing.
“Making a firm commitment to boost wages for what’s le...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - January 8, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release nhs pay Sara Gorton Source Type: news
Government should focus on solving NHS crisis with proper pay not penalties for staff
Responding to reports that the government is to announce legislation to penalise public sector workers if they strike, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:
“The public and health staff would welcome minimum staffing levels in the NHS every day of the week. That way, people wouldn’t be lying in agony on A&E floors or dying in the backs of ambulances.
“But limiting legal staffing levels to strike days and threatening to sack or fine health workers when there are record vacancies in the NHS show proper patient care isn’t what ministers want.
“The government is picking ill-advised fights with NHS emplo...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - January 5, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Anthony Barnes Tags: News Press release nhs pay strike laws Source Type: news
Blog: We ’ re ready to talk on pay
Starting my first blog of 2023, i’d like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to all the public service workers who still went out to work during the Christmas and new year holidays.
When so many people can take time off work to be with their family and friends, you make personal sacrifices to keep the country going. I have no doubt that you do this because of your commitment to your work and to the people who rely on the services you provide.
Yesterday, the prime minister gave a speech, in which he spoke about a better future that “restores optimism, hope, and pride in Britain”.
Perhaps it’s his own realisation that ...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - January 5, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Christina McAnea Tags: General secretary's blog News NHS NHS ballot NHS in crisis Put NHS pay right Source Type: news
Environment Agency workers to strike for the first time, says UNISON
Thousands of Environment Agency workers in England will strike for the first time later this month in a significant escalation of their dispute over pay, says UNISON today (Thursday).
Workers who maintain important safety structures such as the Thames Barrier, coastal sea defences and those protecting communities from floods, water pollution, spills, waste fires and fly-tipping will walk out on Wednesday 18 January from 8am to 5pm. The strike comes at a time of year when extreme weather is more likely to hit the country, warns UNISON.
Last month, thousands of workers started working to rule for an indefinite period. This m...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - January 5, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release Donna Rowe-Merriman environment agency Source Type: news
Waiting times won ’t fall unless the government deals with NHS pay, says UNISON
Responding to Rishi Sunak’s speech today (Wednesday) in which he pledged to reduce NHS waiting lists, UNISON deputy head of health Helga Pile said:
“Society needs a well-funded, well-staffed NHS so care and treatment is available the moment people need it.
“If the Prime Minister is serious about change and doing things differently, he should apply this to his government’s approach to the healthcare crisis. That means giving his ministers the green light to start talking to unions about improving pay.
“The government must raise wages sufficiently across the health service right away. Otherwise experienced ...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - January 4, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Anthony Barnes Tags: News Press release nhs pay Source Type: news
‘Too much’ nitrite-cured meat brings clear risk of cancer, say scientists
Call for UK government ban of chemical in processed meat such as bacon and ham after mice tumours studyA leading scientist has urged ministers to ban the use of nitrites in food after research highlighted the “clear” risk of developing cancer from eating processed meat such as bacon and ham too often.The study by scientists from Queen ’s University Belfast found that mice fed a diet of processed meat containing the chemicals, which are used to cure bacon and give it its distinctive pink colour, developed 75% more cancerous tumours than mice fed nitrite-free pork.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - December 27, 2022 Category: Science Authors: David Batty Tags: Cancer Food & drink industry Meat Pork Animal experimentation Food safety Health policy UK news Food science Source Type: news
The food science behind what makes leftovers tasty (or not)
Love them or hate them, leftovers are a near-inevitability of the holiday season. That’s especially true if you’re gathering with a lot of loved ones who are all bringing their own dishes to the table. The art of cooking harnesses all kinds of chemistry to give food the tastes, colors and textures…#pbsnewshour #paigeluck #brendakelly #ghaidabatarsehhavern #foodkeeper #cordeliarunning #northcarolina #caitlinkarolenko #usda #purdueuniversity (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - December 23, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Further strikes inevitable unless government holds talks and moves on NHS pay, says UNISON
Two further strike days involving ambulance staff working for five services in England are to take place in the new year, says their union UNISON today (Thursday).
Ambulance workers belonging to UNISON and employed by services in London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West are to take action over pay and staffing again in January. Staff will be called out on strike on Wednesday 11 and Monday 23 January 2023.
This follows a noon to midnight strike yesterday (Wednesday) and is a direct result of the government’s repeated refusal to negotiate improvements to NHS pay this year, says UNISON.
The...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - December 22, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Sophie Goodchild Tags: News Press release Ambulance Strike Source Type: news
