Miserly government NHS pay proposal won ’t clear the backlog or help patients, says UNISON
Commenting on the government’s submission today (Wednesday) to the NHS pay review body recommending a maximum pay rise of 3% this year for health workers in England, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:
“This tight-fisted proposal falls well short of rising costs and staff hopes. It’s barely half the rate of inflation, which is far from peaking and won’t for many more months.
“This will go down like a lead balloon with health workers struggling to fill up at the pump, buy groceries and pay bills. It would be a wage cut in all but name.
“Nurses, healthcare assistants, hospital por...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - February 23, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Anthony Barnes Tags: News Press release nhs pay Source Type: news
UNISON urges employers to ‘eradicate poverty pay’
UNISON delegates at today’s higher education conference urged employers to “eradicate poverty pay” in their sector.
They passed a detailed motion addressing a range of pay ambitions, including a new minimum, bottom spine point of £12 an hour, all universities becoming Living Wage Foundation employers, and a maximum 35-hour week for all staff.
The motion outlined an “unprecedented attack on HE pay” over the past two years. Employers made no offer to their staff for the year 2020/21, and only 1.5% for the majority of staff in 2021/22 – almost all of which will be taken up by the government’s increase in nation...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - February 22, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: Article News 2022 Higher Education Conference higher education pay Source Type: news
Higher education staff have ‘yet again kept the sector going’
UNISON’s higher education members met today for their first national conference since before the start of the pandemic. They gathered, virtually, to discuss a host of challenges facing their members – not least those related to their pay and pensions.
Chairing the conference, UNISON vice-president Kath Owen said: “The pandemic has shown the extent to which the country relies on public sector workers, keeping society functioning, and higher education workers keeping the universities functioning.
“And I know each and every one of you will have made your own incredible contribution during this most difficult of times....
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - February 22, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: Article News 2022 Higher Education Conference Source Type: news
Pay and pensions issues prompt higher education strike
Staff are striking at 11 universities and higher education institutions from today (Monday) over a range of issues including pay and pensions, UNISON says.
Action will take place on several days over the next fortnight at Birkbeck, SOAS, City, King’s College London, Goldsmiths (all University of London), Trinity Laban, Brighton University, Edinburgh Napier University, Gloucestershire University, Leeds University and Queen Margaret University.
Staff at nine of the institutions have voted to strike over a pay offer of 1.5%. In addition, three universities will be taking industrial action on changes to their pension, the Un...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - February 21, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Anthony Barnes Tags: News Press release higher education pay USS Source Type: news
Women ’s work is “undervalued, invisible and ignored”, says UNISON
In a speech to the union’s national women’s conference today (Friday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:
“Every day, women are responsible for change across the whole of society. When I became general secretary last year, I promised to lead our collective strength of one million women to be a voice for all women in the workplace.
“The challenges in the workplace and at home have become a much bigger burden for women. They’re exhausted, worn out by the tough demands of the pandemic, but still working to keep society going. Women’s work is too often undervalued, invisible and ignored.
&...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - February 18, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Sophie Goodchild Tags: News Press release 2022 National Womens Conference fair pay Source Type: news
Women back call to build campaign against sexual harassment
UNISON’s 2022 women’s conference ended today with a series of debates following an address to delegates by general secretary Christina McAnea.
Moving a key motion on sexual harassment for the national women’s committee, joint vice chair Deborah Yapicioz said that UNISON welcomed last summer’s announcement by the UK government that it would introduce a new duty on employers to protect all staff from sexual harassment at work, along with protections for workers harassed by clients or customers as well as colleagues.
However, that was in July and as of the second half of February there is no sign of progress.
“Sexua...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - February 18, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News 2022 National Womens Conference sexual harassment Source Type: news
When the cupboard is bare: Impact of low pay revealed by conference
On a busy opening day of UNISON’s women’s conference – held virtually because of the continuing pandemic – delegates worked hard to ensure they have every chance of getting through the entire agenda.
Irene Graham from Northern Ireland told delegates about that region’s relaunch of the Feminist Recover Plan, which highlights the effects of both the pandemic and Brexit on women.
Conference voted to support the region’s plan and called on the national committee to use it as a model to shape its future work.
Describing the struggle low-paid women workers have to survive on “on the hamster wheel of life”, Laura ...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - February 18, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News 2022 National Womens Conference Source Type: news
COVID-19 dominates as women share their pandemic experiences
UNISON’s women’s conference re-opened this afternoon with stark look at the impact of COVID-19 on women.
Tania Earnshaw took the chair for the afternoon session (pictured above, right, with her fellow vice chair of the national women’s committee, Deborah Yapicioz), introducing a trio of debates on the issues.
Opening the first, Shazziah Rock from the West Midlands regional women’s committee detailed the added pressures that the pandemic has heaped onto women.
Never mind working from home, there has also been home schooling for children – of which “women carried the bulk” – care for elderly relatives, care o...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - February 17, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News 2022 National Womens Conference Source Type: news
London borough introduces wide-ranging residential care charter
Southwark Council has agreed a residential care charter that will improve the terms and conditions for all residential care providers in the London borough.
The charter is also intended to drive up standards and lead to better quality of care for the most vulnerable residents within the community.
UNISON today welcomed the move, which was inspired by the union’s own residential care charter, while repeating its call for “a national plan to fix social care pay and set standards”.
Southwark’s charter lays out the council’s expectations regarding high quality care, which it says exceed the current standards set by t...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - February 10, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: Article News local government residential care residential care homes Source Type: news
UNISON reacts to latest NHS waiting times figures
Commenting on the latest NHS data on waiting times published today (Thursday) UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “Waiting times are hitting new record highs.
“That means pain, suffering and anxiety for millions.
“Solving the staff crisis has to be an urgent priority so patients can get the help they need.
“Persuading exhausted, demoralised health workers to stay in their jobs, and attracting newcomers to the NHS, is paramount.
“An inflation-busting wage boost is needed as soon as possible.”
Notes to editors:
UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - February 10, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release NHS Sara Gorton waiting lists Source Type: news
NEC meeting discusses motions for national conference
UNISON’s national executive council met today, in a virtual meeting that looked forward to the union’s national delegate conference (NDC) in the early summer.
There was extensive discussion around the motions and rule amendments that the council itself will be taking to the June conference, which will be the first physical convening of the union’s ‘parliament’ since the pandemic began.
And, inevitably, COVID-19 will feature highly when members come together.
Conference will be discussing:
learning the right lessons from COVID-19;
global vaccine inequality;
supporting workers who make personal protective equipmen...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - February 9, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News 2022 National Delegate Conference NEC Source Type: news
Academy orders issued to schools in Hallam Diocese ‘unlawfully’, say education unions
Unions representing staff in schools across the Catholic Diocese of Hallam have written to the Secretary of State for Education to begin legal action over letters they received informing them that they would be forced to join Multi-Academy Trusts.
The letters, issued by the Regional Schools Commissioner – who works directly for the Education Secretary – were issued on the 15th December 2021, and sent to all Voluntary Aided schools in the Catholic Diocese of Hallam. The Diocese – which has schools in Yorkshire and the North Midlands – propose to convert or transfer all schools, including existing stand-alone acade...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - February 8, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release academies education Mike Short Source Type: news
University members to take action on pay and pensions
UNISON members at nine higher education institutions are to take industrial action on the current year’s pay offer in the coming weeks, after those institutions passed the legal turnout threshold in a ballot that closed last Friday.
UNISON branches will be taking strike action alongside University and College Union branches on the imposed pay offer of 1.5% for the majority of staff.
Three universities where the legal turnout threshold was reached will see members take action on detrimental changes to their pension, the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS).
UNISON senior national officer Ruth Levin said: “University...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - February 7, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article Source Type: news
Welsh leisure centre workers claim insourcing victory
Welsh workers are celebrating a decision to bring leisure services back into public hands in a move that union leaders want to see replicated across the country.
Neath Port Talbot Council decided at a cabinet meeting on 1 February that indoor leisure services will once again be operated by the local authority, after more than 20 years of being run by Celtic Leisure.
Last year, UNISON – the largest trade union representing staff at the council – launched a campaign calling for these services to be run by the local authority.
The campaign involved a series of negotiations with the council and the direct lobbying of poli...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - February 7, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News Cymru Wales insourcing local government UNISON Cymru/Wales Source Type: news
Squeezing wages won ’t halt soaring living costs, says UNISON
Commenting on remarks made by Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, on pay restraint, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said today (Friday):
“Holding wages down won’t stop the cost of living soaring.
“Staff struggling to keep the lights on and put food on the table are already leaving the NHS, care and other public services in their droves.
“The government must deliver the cash so this year’s wage increases are above the rate of inflation. Otherwise, the consequences will be disastrous for everyone.”
Notes to editors: -UNISON is the UK’s large...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - February 4, 2022 Category: Food Science Authors: Sophie Goodchild Tags: News Press release inflation low pay Source Type: news
