The Manchester Arena terrorist attack – two UNISON members’ stories
Adam Williams was in a corridor with a patient at the Salford Royal hospital when he heard news of an explosion in Manchester. Twenty minutes later he was at the scene.
As a paramedic with the North West Ambulance Service, Adam has been trained for this type of incident. But it was still a shock when he arrived. The sound of the scene is what hit him first. Screams of panic and pain, alarms, sirens from police cars, ambulances and fire engines. He saw people wounded and confused: “It was devastation.”
“It was devastation.”
The hazardous area response team, police officers and other paramedics were already at work, ...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - June 6, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Rosa Ellis Tags: Magazine manchester Manchester Arena north west region public service champions UNISON north west Source Type: news
NEC 2017-2019: election results
The results of the 2017 NEC election are now available.
Download the summary list of newly elected members
These members will take office following the end of the national delegate conference 2017. The term of office will run until the end of national delegate conference 2019.
A full copy of the scrutineer’s report is available to members of UNISON on request. To obtain a copy, telephone UNISONdirect on 0800 0 857 857. Lines are open 6 am to midnight, Monday to Friday and 9am to 4pm on Saturdays.
Any query regarding this information or this election should be directed to the member liaison unit at the UNISON Ce...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - May 23, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Tony Braisby Tags: Article democracy and elections national executive council NEC Source Type: news
Hot topics for national delegate conference
Nearly a decade after the global financial crisis first hit, the pressure is still unrelenting on our public services and the workers who provide them – including UNISON members working for public bodies, private companies or community and charity organisations.
That is the background for June’s national delegate conference, when some 2,000 delegates from branches and regions across the union will gather in Brighton to discuss the union’s priorities and policies for the next 12 months.
As motion 39 – about getting the public onside with our public service campaigning – notes:
“Despite the unprecedented cuts tha...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - May 15, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Rosa Ellis Tags: Article 2017 National Delegate Conference ndc 2017 Source Type: news
Unions issue final warning to school academy chain over cutbacks
An academy chain with schools in the East Midlands and Yorkshire & Humberside is facing possible action from eight education unions over plans to axe support staff.
The unions – representing headteachers, teachers, teaching assistants and school support staff – have issued the David Ross Education Trust (DRET) with a final warning after the failure to reach an agreement over proposed cuts. Talks will now take place at conciliation service ACAS.
The chain is proposing to cut nearly £1m in funding from school budgets and up to 40 jobs from across its 32 primary and secondary schools.
In an unprecedented move, the ei...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - May 4, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Charlotte Jeffs Tags: News Press release education Source Type: news
Swansea signs up to ethical care
Swansea will become the latest council to implement UNISON’s Ethical Care Charter banning 15-minute care visits and zero-hour contracts next month – if Labour keep control of the council in next week’s local election.
Rob Stewart, the leader of the council’s Labour group, signed a commitment UNISON branch secretary Chris Cooze and regional secretary Margaret Thomas pledging that “the charter will be implemented in full” at “the earliest possibility” in the next council term.
The charter contains a set of commitments to protect the dignity and quality of life for vulnerable people and the workers who c...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - April 27, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Tony Braisby Tags: Article Cymru Wales ethical care charter home care homecare local government save care now Source Type: news
‘ Six weeks to save the NHS ’ , says Prentis
The future of an NHS that is “on the brink” must be centre stage during the general election campaign, UNISON health conference delegates in Liverpool were told today.
In his keynote address, union general secretary Dave Prentis said: “We have six weeks to save the NHS.
“We all know what happens if the Tories get back. Everything that matters to our members is on the line – your jobs, your wages, our public services, our NHS, our communities and our families.
“A general election is always a moment when we decide the future of our country.
“But perhaps never more so than this time. The government w...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - April 24, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: News ambulance services dave prentis eric roberts general health care health care conference 2017 Health Care Service Group Conference 2017 NHS nhs pay Source Type: news
UNISON calls for action to tackle stress epidemic in public services
UNISON is stepping up its campaign on stress after a survey of 10,000 members showed that it is the top health and safety concern for union members.
Some three-quarters of members said they had never been surveyed by their employer on stress – and 61% said their employer had never spoken to them the issue at all.
The biggest cause of stress, say UNISON members, is excessive demands placed on them by staff shortages, cuts and constant change.
And 87% of the almost 10,000 who answered said that increasing pressure on staff, and the stress that brings, means that services to the public suffer.
UNISON is calling on its branc...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - March 30, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Tony Braisby Tags: Article News health and safety health and safety reps hns Stress stress survey Source Type: news
Our park lives are under threat
Open spaces in urban areas have existed for as long as urban areas have existed. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the Wonders of the World, while La Alameda de Hércules – a promenaded public mall, garden and park in Seville – was one of the earliest parks, being opened in 1574.
Cities such as Paris could revel in formal gardens. London’s equivalent was Vauxhall Gardens, which are believed to have opened before 1660. And Britain started seriously creating parks in our towns and cities in the 19th century, seeing them as ways of helping to improve public health.
But those parks are now under an increasing...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - March 14, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Rosa Ellis Tags: Article cuts to local services local government parks Source Type: news
Funding care can lift women workers out of poverty, Welsh councils urged
UNISON Cymru/Wales is asking for meetings with every Welsh council to talk about better funding for the care they commission from non-profit organisations – a more that would lift carers out of poverty.
The union wrote to all the councils yesterday, International Women’s Day, warning that thousands of women across the country “are suffering the effects of in-work poverty, despite their dedication in caring for older people”.
Extreme financial constraints in the non-profit care sector have seen carers’ supplements for sleep-ins at service users’ homes slashed, along with holiday pay, bank holiday pay rates and ...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - March 9, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Tony Braisby Tags: Article News adult care adult social care care workers community Cymru Wales ethical care charter local government save care now UNISON Cymru/Wales Source Type: news
Health secretary urged to lift NHS pay cap
UNISON is calling on Jeremy Hunt to change tactics and lift the 1% pay cap in the NHS, which it says is causing major problems in the service.
The union says that such action is needed now in order to stop the increasing numbers of staff who are leaving.
The loss of experienced staff is just one problem facing the NHS at a time of unprecedented pressure.
Health Education England figures show that the number of staff leaving the NHS reached 16% last year – a marked increase since 2011.
UNISON head of health Christina McAnea has written to the Mr Hunt urging him to lift the 1% pay cap.
This would allow the independen...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - February 22, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News National Health Service NHS nhs pay pay cap Source Type: news
Dave Prentis tells conference ‘we will campaign against Trump’
Dave Prentis announced UNISON’s official support for Stop Trump UK at the union’s women’s conference in Brighton today, talking about the dangerous times, “times of Brexit and Trump, and the threat to workers’ rights.”
But UNISON will always campaign for equality and as part of that, said the union’s general secretary, the union will donate £10,000 to the Stop Trump UK campaign, and fully back the movement.
As well as Donald Trump, Mr Prentis talked of UKIP clinging on to the President’s coattails and Paul Nuttal telling sickening lies about losing friends at Hillsborough.
“These are the...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - February 16, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Rosa Ellis Tags: Article News 2017 National Women's Conference conferences dave prentis women members women members conference 2017 Source Type: news
Blog: Heart unions and celebrate our victories past and future
Our union has a long and proud history of winning for people who work in our public services – and every day, union members, activists and staff defend, protect and support the 1.3 million people who belong to UNISON.
We have a huge amount to be proud of but – understandably in these difficult times – we often dwell only on the difficulties, not the victories; only on the struggles, not the successes.
I am incredibly proud to be a part of this union and to have the honour of leading it. But the real source of pride is UNISON members, who are delivering world class public services even when times are tough.
UNISON mem...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - February 9, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Dave Prentis Tags: General secretary's blog News employment rights heart unions heart unions week Heart UNISON rights at work union rights Source Type: news
Right to paid holidays and parental leave under threat after Brexit, says UNISON
UNISON is backing a campaign launched today (Wednesday) to prevent employment rights enjoyed by millions from being scrapped after Brexit.
The union is supporting a new bill that aims to ensure protection for employees that has been introduced by the European Union (EU) – and enshrined in British law – is not watered down once the UK has left the EU.
This includes leave for parents so they can look after their children, legal limits on how many hours employees can work, and the right to take paid holiday and daily rest breaks. Everyone in work –regardless of whether they work in the public or private sector – cur...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - January 11, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Charlotte Jeffs Tags: Press release BREXIT employment rights workers rights Source Type: news
Toxic turkey risk over future of meat inspections, says UNISON
Christmas turkey, pigs-in-blankets and meat stuffing could become health hazards under moves to scrap independent abattoir inspectors employed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), says UNISON today (Friday).
More than three in five (62%) people would be less confident their festive meat treats would be safe to eat if this were to happen, according to a survey commissioned by the union.
The findings are based on responses from nearly 2,000 (1,847) people quizzed over FSA proposals to increase the number of slaughterhouse inspections by private companies.
Inspections are currently carried out by government employed staff. But...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - December 23, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Charlotte Jeffs Tags: News Press release local government meat hygiene meat inspection meat inspectors Source Type: news
All emergency service workers want for Christmas is to be paid their worth
Responding to a TUC analysis published today (Friday) that found emergency service workers have suffered real pay cuts of up to £3,300 since 2011, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:
“Every year emergency service workers put their lives on hold so the rest of us can enjoy the festive season.
“We know they are there for us should we need them, often doing unimaginably difficult jobs.
“Yet they continue to be paid well below their worth by a government that sees the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
“A decent pay rise this year would be a great Christmas present for selfless staff who ministers ha...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - December 23, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Charlotte Jeffs Tags: News Press release Energy health pay helath care local government water environment and transport Source Type: news
