Government must do more to persuade care staff to have the jab
Reacting to NHS data showing that care home staff vaccination rates in the majority of English local authorities are below the level recommended by SAGE scientists, UNISON senior national social care officer Gavin Edwards said:
“Ministers know the areas where vaccination rates are low, but for some reason they aren’t taking the targeted action needed to increase the numbers.
“Faced with the same challenge, governments around the world rolled up their sleeves and worked with local authorities, unions and employers to drive-up care staff vaccination numbers. But in England the approach is to...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - April 16, 2021 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Garfield Myrie Tags: News Press release Gavin Edwards vaccination Source Type: news
Chancellor must use the budget to show social care really matters
Responding to a survey by a coalition of care organisations issued today (Tuesday) that found two thirds of MPs polled backed a multi-billion-pound investment in social care, UNISON senior national officer Gavin Edwards said:
“The case for the wholesale reform of the UK care system has never been stronger. Even MPs from rival parties agree the time has come to stop kicking the problem into the long grass.
“Rishi Sunak must use his budget to send out the message that social care is a crucial public service, just like the NHS. He must make the cash available to fully fund a modern and compassionat...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - March 2, 2021 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Garfield Myrie Tags: News Press release budget care Source Type: news
Blog: We ’re not martyrs, we’re fighting for change
Think of the working-class women of Glasgow leading rent strikes in 1915. The machinists at Ford, downing tools to get what they deserved in the 1960s. And the Greenham Common peace protesters of the 1980s or the care workers taking to the streets to demand equal pay in 2018.
Every International Women’s Day, all of us – women and men together – celebrate women’s history and recognise our global struggles. And we commit to keep working together to win.
International Women’s Day this year is Monday 8 March and the theme around the world is #ChooseToChallenge, and that’s exactly what one million working women do e...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - March 1, 2021 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Christina McAnea Tags: General secretary's blog News Christina McAnea international women's day Source Type: news
Saving the lives of the workers who are saving our lives
When the COVID-19 pandemic broke, there was a rush to find personal protective equipment (PPE) for key workers. But in the urgency to stay safe, nobody stopped to question who was making the PPE, and whether they were safe too.
With billions of pounds spent on PPE and other life-saving equipment since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the extent to which the public purse is contributing to, or is complicit in, human rights violations globally has worsened.
In June 2020, a Channel 4 news investigation revealed the shocking exploitation of migrant workers at Top Glove factories in Malaysia who churn out Personal Protective Equipmen...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - September 28, 2020 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article Covid-19 human rights international procurement Source Type: news
Safety measures must be the priority to tackle increased infection spread
Monday 21 September 2020
For immediate release
Safety measures must be the priority to tackle increased infection spread, says UNISON
Commenting on the government’s latest scientific briefing today (Monday) on increasing Covid-19 infection rates, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:
“The situation is spiralling out of control and the measures in place so far aren’t working. Confusing messages and mixed signals from ministers aren’t helping either.
“There’s simply no time for complacency. The government must make public safety a priority.
“Strict social distancing, fixing the ...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - September 21, 2020 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Anthony Barnes Tags: News Press release coronavirus public services Source Type: news
New survey will reveal state of NHS staff car parking
UNISON has launched a survey of NHS staff in hospitals, to get a fuller understanding of what is happening about free car parking for workers as the lockdown eases.
Hospital parking has been free for NHS staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, while local authorities and private providers have also offered free parking to health and social care staff.
At the beginning of July, the prime minister confirmed that parking would remain free until the end of the pandemic.
In addition, NHS England People Plan, which was published at the beginning of August, stated that: “NHS organisations should continue to give their people free c...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - August 21, 2020 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News Covid-19 hospital car parking charter NHS Source Type: news
UNISON wins Access to Work victory
UNISON has won a major victory for disabled workers, after the Department for Work and Pensions announced that new help will be available to disabled people who are working at home, with Access to Work extended to include support for specialist equipment, travel costs and mental health.
UNISON assistant general secretary Christina McAnea wrote to the Chancellor in July calling for a “culture change in UK employers” so that disabled people who want to, can work from home, with additional funding for Access to Work to better enable that.
UNISON also met Treasury officials in July, when they were able to lay out the findi...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - August 19, 2020 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News access to work Christina McAnea disabled members Source Type: news
Police unions seek improvement of pay offer
The police staff trade unions – UNISON, Unite and GMB – have agreed to go back to the employers to seek an improvement for low-paid police staff on the current pay offer for 2020.
The offer, made on 22 July, is for:
2.5% increase on all pay points with effect from 1 September 2020;
2.5% increase on standby allowance with effect from 1 September 2020;
Without prejudice talks on police staff apprenticeship pay.
However, this falls far short of the unions’ pay claim, which included a 6.5%, or £1,200, increase in police staff pay and 6.5% increase in standby allowance and away from home overnight allowance.
The £1,20...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - August 3, 2020 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: Article News police and justice police staff police staff pay Source Type: news
Napier staff to be balloted over planned redundancies
UNISON is to ballot for strike action at Edinburgh Napier University, after the employer moved to make at least 60 staff compulsorily redundant.
The union is also calling on Richard Lochhead, the minister for higher and further education, to intervene and enforce the Scottish government’s much vaunted fair work standards.
The announcement came as the university made the move before student recruitment income is clear and before less drastic alternatives have been exhausted.
Members at Napier should receive their ballots from the middle of next week, and the union is urging people to back their representatives and r...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - July 15, 2020 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News higher education Scotland Source Type: news
Vital health staff must feel valued and supported
Commenting on the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s annual registration report published today (Thursday), UNISON national nursing officer Stuart Tuckwood said:
“Overseas nurses have been on the front line providing vital care throughout the pandemic. Ministers must make them feel welcome and treat them fairly by keeping promises to drop the health surcharge and provide refunds for fees already incurred.
“Although staffing numbers are heading in the right direction, there’s a long way to go before the 100,000 vacancies across the NHS are filled.
“Health workers are fac...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - July 8, 2020 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Garfield Myrie Tags: Article News Press release nurse Stuart Tuckwood Source Type: news
Money for public services would mean a quicker recovery
Responding to the summer economic statement today (Wednesday), UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:
“The Chancellor has firmly closed the door on the damaging austerity of the past decade.
“But while there’s much for young people, the energy sector and UK businesses to celebrate, there’s next to nothing for public services and the workers who’ve kept the country going through the last few difficult months.
“Proper investment in our public services would help speed the country back to recovery and more prosperous, certain times. It would heal over the deep cracks in care and the NHS exposed by t...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - July 8, 2020 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Garfield Myrie Tags: Article News Press release chancellor dave prentis Source Type: news
Blog: We must recommit ourselves to the fight against racism in all its forms
The murder of George Floyd is another example of the racism that blights US society. There are those who would claim that the situation in the UK is different, but that’s not true.
Racism, in all its forms, remains a part of our society. It exists when Black workers get paid less than someone else doing the same job or when they’re passed over for jobs that similarly or less qualified colleagues are appointed to. It exists when you’re more likely to be fined for breaching Coronavirus restrictions if you’re Black. And it exists too in the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black communities.
The current situatio...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - June 1, 2020 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Dave Prentis Tags: General secretary's blog News Source Type: news
Low-paid hospital staff to get a pay rise
Thousands of low–paid health workers employed by private company Medirest are to get a pay rise, says UNISON today (Friday).
The 2,200 staff, who provide cleaning, portering and catering services in NHS hospitals across England, will see their pay increase by an average of 5 per cent from the beginning of next month.
Hourly rates for the lowest paid workers will rise from around £8.75 to £9.21 an hour, bringing their pay in line with NHS staff doing similar jobs.
UNISON assistant general secretary Christina McAnea said: “These workers, who are among the lowest paid in ho...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - May 15, 2020 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Garfield Myrie Tags: News Press release Christina McAnea Compass hospital Medirest pay Source Type: news
There for You launches COVID-19 response fund
There for You is UNISON’s unique charity, set up to help members in difficulties – and this year, the COVID-19 crisis is making life harder for many of our already-stretched members.
Because more of you are struggling, There for You has set up a special fund to respond to calls for help needed especially because of the pandemic, with £250,000 set aside to help members.
Carol Sewell is a trustee for the charity – and a member of the union’s national executive council.
She explains that, for a number of weeks, a team including herself and head of welfare Julie Grant, have been looking “at how we can support our me...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - May 5, 2020 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News coronavirus Covid-19 there for you unison welfare Source Type: news
Record numbers join UNISON
Public service champions working to deal with the coronavirus crisis are joining the union in record numbers as they seek support and security.
The latest figures show that the union has grown by almost 16,000 members since the beginning of the year. That came after some 62,000 new members joined UNISON in the last three months – with record numbers signing up in the last few weeks.
That is “a sign of how worried people are,” said general secretary Dave Prentis. “People are joining the union for advice and security at this worrying time. And they are turning to UNISON because our workplace reps and activists are se...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - April 20, 2020 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Tony Braisby Tags: Article activists Go for growth recruiting and organising recruitment Source Type: news
