Fish fossils show first cooking may have been 600,000 years earlier than thought
After examining carp remains, researchers claim people who lived 780,000 years ago liked their fish well doneEarly human ancestors living 780,000 years ago liked their fish well done, Israeli researchers have revealed, in what they said was the earliest evidence of fire being used to cook.Exactly when our ancestors started cooking has been a matter of controversy among archaeologists because it is difficult to prove that an ancient fireplace was used to prepare food, and not just for warmth.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - November 14, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Agence France-Presse Tags: Archaeology Anthropology Israel World news Middle East and north Africa Fish Food Science Source Type: news
Retained EU Law Bill: UNISON gives expert evidence in Parliament
In its rush to finalise Brexit, the government plans to axe over 2,400 laws by the end of next year – all because they originated in the EU. Today UNISON, which represents over 1.3 million workers in the UK, gave expert evidence to Parliament on the devastating impact this will have on basic workers’ protections.
The controversial Retained EU Law Bill, introduced by Jacob Rees-Mogg, has set a fast-moving conveyor belt in motion, which will see all protections for workers and UK citizens that come from EU law fall off a cliff in December 2023, unless the government decides to produce new and equivalent UK laws. This dea...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - November 8, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Janey Starling Tags: News Retained EU Law bill Source Type: news
UNISON ambulance workers share heartbreaking stories of wait times
Two UNISON members have appeared on a powerful ITV report into ambulance waiting times.
Senior paramedic and UNISON branch chair Glenn Carrington (pictured above), who has worked for the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS) for almost 30 years, described how dire the situation has become.
“We’re spending so much time sat outside the hospital. The record so far is 10 and a half hours.
“Literally 10 and a half hours with our patient in the back of our vehicle, unable to move into the hospital.”
When ITV health editor Emily Morgan asked: “Did that patient deteriorate?” Mr Carrington responded: “They always d...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - November 7, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News ambulance workers NHS Source Type: news
Mileage rate rise needed urgently for public sector staff
The government must act to raise mileage rates for all frontline public service staff who can’t do their jobs without vehicles, but are struggling with fuel costs, says UNISON today (Tuesday).
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has not increased the allowance in a decade. Workers affected include midwives attending home births, district nurses, social workers and pest control officers.
UNISON says this means staff are effectively subsidising their employers, because they are paying much more for petrol than they can claim back, especially as fuel prices remain so high.
The approved mileage rate set by the Treasu...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - November 1, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Anthony Barnes Tags: News Press release cost of living fuel crisis Source Type: news
Blog: The government paves the way for Austerity 2.0
“It’s going to be rough” is what we’re hearing in news reports from government sources today. That’s the reality of toxic public spending cuts that are being threatened in Westminster’s latest narrative.
Sound familiar? Well, it is, because we’re heading to Austerity 2.0. We’ve been here before – the first round was painful, damaging and lasted over a decade. In a speech about the economy in 2010, on his plans to deal with the fallout of the global economic crisis, David Cameron said: “The measures that we need to deal with it will be unavoidably tough … I make no bones about that, but we ...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - November 1, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Christina McAnea Tags: General secretary's blog News Christina McAnea cost of living end the pay crisis Source Type: news
Vote yes for the NHS: UNISON urges backing for strike action
Some 350,000 NHS employees working across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are being asked to vote on strike action over pay this winter.
UNISON represents a wide range of staff working in the NHS, including porters, nurses, paramedics and cleaners. The union recommends members vote ‘yes’ for strike action in order to pressure government decision-makers to increase pay.
In England and Wales, NHS staff have had a pay award of just 72p per hour. This is nowhere near what workers need to survive the current cost of living – and it will do nothing to address the staffing crisis which has led to 132,000 unfilled vacan...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - November 1, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News health workers nhs pay NHS pay rise Source Type: news
Mobilise to save the planet
The United Nation’s COP27 climate conference opens at the end of this week in Egypt, in the shadow of the UN’s own prediction that only the “rapid transformation of societies” will avert climate disaster.
A new UN report shows that countries are far short of meeting their Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to below 2°, and preferably 1.5° by 2030.
Since COP26, hosted in Glasgow last year, very limited progress has been made in reducing emissions. In fact, policies currently in place, with no additional action, are projected to result in global warming of 2.8° over the twenty-first century.
Inger And...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - November 1, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: Article News green unison Green UNISON Week Source Type: news
Delegates call for help to combat the epidemic of male suicide
A busy afternoon at UNISON’s disabled members’ conference today (Sunday) was dominated by a harrowing debate on men and mental health, which heard testimony from delegates about their personal experiences of male friends or relatives who had taken their own lives.
In 2020, 75% of those who took their own lives in the UK were male, with 4,880 men and boys ending their lives – equating to 12 deaths every day of the year.
While people of all genders experience mental health problems, gender stereotypes mean that men’s mental health problems often go unnoticed.
An incredibly moving speech from one delegate, whose o...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - October 30, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News 2022 National Disabled Members Conference Human Rights Act LGBT mental health Source Type: news
‘ We want workplaces to thrive – the Tories want to curtail unions ’
“We want our workplaces to thrive. A Tory government wants to curtail trade union action even more, claiming that they’re run by trade union ‘barons’ rather than the democratic processes we go through – and this from a government that is on its second unelected prime minister in two months.”
Vicky Foxcroft, Labour’s shadow minister for disabled people, was addressing UNISON’s national disabled members’ conference in Brighton this afternoon, and noted that, disabled people are so important to this latest version of a Tory government that “we don’t know who the new minister [for disabled people] is”.
...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - October 30, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News 2022 National Disabled Members Conference Vicky Foxcroft Source Type: news
Disabled members look to the legacy of 2022
The first plenary sessions of UNISON’s annual disabled members conference took place this morning, with the cost of living and securing a legacy for the unions’ Year of the Disabled Worker dominating proceedings.
But it also saw member Paddy Toner presented with his award as this year’s winner of the union’s Local Service Champions Awards by general secretary Christina McAnea (pictured above).
Mr Toner is a rehabilitation worker for the visually impaired at Halton Borough Council. He himself is registered blind. He was nominated by Helen Illidge, his support worker, who accompanied him to the conference.
Watch a v...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - October 30, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News 2022 National Disabled Members Conference Local Service Champions Awards Source Type: news
Police staff receive £1,900 pay increase, matching officers
Police staff in England and Wales will see their salaries rise by £1,900, bringing their pay award into line with the increase given to police officers this year.
UNISON represents around 50,000 police staff across the country, approximately 60% of whom are women. The new award, which takes effect from 1 September 2022, was secured by action from UNISON, Unite and GMB.
During pay negotiations earlier in the year, the unions insisted that the Police Staff Council (PSC) adopt a specific clause to “ensure that police staff do not suffer any detriment to their police officer colleagues” if officers are provided with a hig...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - October 24, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News police and justice staff pay Source Type: news
No more leadership musical chairs, it ’ s time for a general election
Commenting on the news that Rishi Sunak is to become the next prime minister, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “The depth of the crisis facing the UK is too serious to be left to the Conservatives to solve.
“Changing leaders won’t make a shred of difference. The shambles of the past few weeks proves the Tories are no longer fit to govern.
“It’s time to let voters choose a new government in Westminster. The public wants a general election. They’ve had enough of the musical chairs at the top of government. If Rishi Sunak is so confident he has the answers to the UK’s...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - October 24, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Anthony Barnes Tags: News Press release general election prime minister rishi sunak Source Type: news
‘ Policing and justice is about people, ’ says shadow minister
Addressing the UNISON police and justice conference yesterday, shadow police minister Sarah Jones underlined the importance of police workforce planning in order to build a modern police force that has “the best mix of skills and talents to fight the changing nature of crime”.
Ms Jones said: “When Labour was in government, the future of the police workforce, and how we plan for it, was a priority. Since the Tories came in, over a decade ago, the workforce planning all but disappeared under the austerity measures”.
“A Labour government will re-establish workforce planning in the Home Office. We will look at the wo...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - October 21, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News 2022 Police and Justice Conference Source Type: news
Environment Agency condemned over pay imposition
UNISON has today condemned the decision of the Environment Agency (EA) to implement a 2% + £345 pay offer for staff while, at the same time, imposing worse terms in contracts for new workers joining the agency.
UNISON national secretary Donna Rowe-Merriman stated: “When this pay offer by the EA is implemented, workers will clearly see just how ineffective the award is at tackling the increasing cost of living.
“UNISON members are in serious need of an improved pay outcome. We are told that the decision on any improved offer lies with the government, and we urge them to intervene.
“Most EA workers have not had a sal...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - October 20, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News environment agency water environment and transport Source Type: news
UNISON police and justice conference opens in Telford
Hundreds of delegates gathered in Telford today for UNISON’s police and justice service group conference, in order to decide the union’s priorities for over 50,000 members working in the sector across the England, Scotland and Wales.
UNISON represents people working in policing and probation, from call handlers and community support officers probation officers, custody assistants, cleaners and canteen staff, with 60% of police staff being women.
Chaired by UNISON vice president Libby Nolan, the first day of the conference passed several motions relating to pay and the cost of living.
Cost of living crisis
One deleg...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - October 20, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News 2022 Police and Justice Conference Source Type: news
