Threat to block public sector pay rises proves government ’ s out of ideas, says UNISON
Commenting on reports today (Saturday) that ministers are considering rejecting the recommendations of several public sector pay review bodies, UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards said:
“In the last pay round, the government spent months hiding behind the NHS pay review body (PRB). Ridiculous claims ministers couldn’t intervene with the PRB led to strikes and much needless disruption to patients and services.
“For the prime minister to be pondering blocking the other pay review bodies is utterly farcical.
“It’s time to ditch this outmoded way of setting pay in essential service...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 24, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release Jon Richards public sector pay Source Type: news
UNISON seeks judicial review of home secretary over Windrush
Today is National Windrush Day, marking the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the passengers of the Empire Windrush to the UK, and celebrating the contribution and achievements of those Caribbean immigrants and many others who followed.
As UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea says in her blog today, if Windrush hadn’t docked at Tilbury, the country wouldn’t also be celebrating the NHS’s 75th birthday this year, because many of the Windrush generation went straight to work in the health service.
But the anniversary comes amid continued controversy over the government’s mistreatment of the Windrush generation....
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 22, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: Article News black members Windrush Source Type: news
Conference restates UNISON ’ s campaign for abortion rights
Delegates at UNISON’s national delegate conference last week reaffirmed the union’s commitment to campaign for the decriminalisation of abortion in England, Scotland and Wales.
Greenwich Local Government branch proposed a motion on defending abortion rights, which was described as “very important and timely” in the light of the overturning of Roe v Wade by the US Supreme Court last year, “the biggest attack on abortion rights since the 1970s,” and the recent jailing in the UK of mother of three Carla Foster for ending her pregnancy.
Speaking for the national executive council (NEC) in support of the motion, Liz...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 22, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: Article News 2023 National Delegate Conference abortion equality unison women Source Type: news
Blog: We can ’ t truly commemorate Windrush until we have justice
Today, on Windrush Day, we mark 75 years since the Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury in Essex after travelling from Jamaica. The post-war arrival of this generation of Commonwealth citizens transformed the UK and our trade union movement, as their work helped build our public services.
If Windrush had never docked in the UK, we wouldn’t be celebrating 75 years of our treasured NHS this year, because many of the Windrush generation went straight to work in the health service.
Although we celebrate the arrival of the Windrush generation, we cannot adequately commemorate the day until those caught up in the Windrush scandal...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 22, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Christina McAnea Tags: General Secretary's blog black members Windrush Source Type: news
Inflation failures strengthen case for general election, says UNISON
Commenting on the latest UK inflation figures announced today (Wednesday), UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards said:
“Higher prices, soaring rents and sky-high mortgages are a living nightmare.
“Government ministers don’t have a clue about the financial worries of most people. The prime minister and chancellor look content to sit back and watch while families lose their homes or can no longer pay their rents.
“The case for an election grows stronger by the day.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in edu...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 21, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Anthony Barnes Tags: News Press release inflation Source Type: news
The social care crisis is worsening by the minute, says UNISON
Commenting on the report from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass) that suggests most councils in England aren’t confident they can offer the legal minimum of social care support next year, UNISON head of social care Gavin Edwards said today (Wednesday): “The social care crisis is worsening by the minute.
“Care workers are overworked, underpaid and struggling to plug the gaps in a sector desperately short of staff.
“The acute underfunding, complete absence of meaningful reform and the government’s refusal to address workers’ pay has left care in dire straits.
“Minis...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 20, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release Gavin Edwards social care Source Type: news
Still time to vote on HE pay
The higher education pay strike ballot for 2023/24 is open until 31 July, so there is still time to get the vote out.
UNISON sent out a text this week and over 700 members have said that they have voted, informing the union through the new Movement system.
HE branches are using Movement to help get out the vote, while activists are also making calls daily to increase this number. Every vote matters in getting a decent pay rise.
You can find out more by visiting the campaign webpage.
The article Still time to vote on HE pay first appeared on the UNISON National site. (Source: UNISON Health care news)
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 20, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News higher education higher education pay Source Type: news
Conference celebrates – and resolves to do more – for Black workers
National delegates today underlined the union’s ongoing fight for the rights of its Black members, by passing three motions in the closing sessions of conference.
The first focussed on the ethnicity pay gap (EPG), which the union believes is a major cause of in-work poverty experienced by Black workers, and the cause of severe intergenerational inequality in Black communities.
The EPG is as high as 23.8% in London, with regional variations across the UK.
Although the government committed to asking large employers to publish information on their ethnicity pay gaps in its 2017 election manifesto, to date few companies hav...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 16, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: Article 2023 National Delegate Conference 2023 year of Black Workers Source Type: news
Avoid outsourcing services unless there ’s a clear public benefit, says UNISON
A future Labour government should do all it can to bring outsourced contracts in health, education, police and councils back in-house, says a new report from UNISON today (Friday).Any decisions by public bodies to privatise essential services should have to pass a key public interest test, according to the research. This means the running of important local services should only be offered up to private contractors if there is deemed genuinely to be a public benefit.The test that contracts should have to pass would include the following points:
Value for money
The quality of the service that would be delivered
The effec...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 16, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Sophie Goodchild Tags: News Press release outsourcing public services Source Type: news
High housing costs driving up poverty among public service workers, says UNISON
High rents and mortgage payments are a cause of major financial stress for nearly a third of public service workers including cleaners, care staff and teaching assistants, says UNISON today (Friday).
A report commissioned by the union, based on a survey of more than 2,600 public service workers in the UK, shows housing costs have increased for more than three in five (63%).
The document Through the Roof highlights how a rapid rise in rent and mortgage payments is taking a significant toll, says UNISON.
The survey aimed to identify which groups were hardest hit by asking how many paid 60% or more of their household i...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 16, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Sophie Goodchild Tags: News Press release housing public service pay Source Type: news
‘ We will defend our right to strike – and our right to vote ’
National conference delegates this week voiced their determination to defend their rights as trade unionists and voters – against a wave of government suppression.
A debate on defending the right to strike focussed on the government’s Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, which the Lords sent back to the House of Commons last week, for the second time, with significant amendments that water down some of its anti-trade union aspects.
Speaking of the use of work notices, which would allow employers to name specific staff on strike days – who would then be required to attend work under threat of disciplinary action or ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 16, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: Article News 2023 National Delegate Conference democracy Source Type: news
Police forces in England and Wales could face a £700m budget shortfall, warns UNISON
An analysis of police financial forecasts has revealed forces in England and Wales could face a combined budget shortfall of almost £721m by 2026, potentially putting public safety at risk, says UNISON today (Friday).
The data, based on medium-term financial plans submitted by individual police forces to their local police and crime panels, reveals drastic cuts to the spending planned.
The worst affected is the Metropolitan Police (£282m), followed by West Midlands (£34m) and Kent (£31m). Together the three forces will have a combined budget deficit of £347m by 2026.
While forecasts aren’t set in stone, p...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 15, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release Christina McAnea police and justice Source Type: news
Police forces in England and Wales could face a combined budget shortfall of more than £700m by 2026, warns UNISON
An analysis of police financial forecasts has revealed forces in England and Wales could face a combined budget shortfall of almost £721m by 2026, potentially putting public safety at risk, says UNISON today (Friday).
The data, based on medium-term financial plans submitted by individual police forces to their local police and crime panels, reveals drastic cuts to the spending planned.
The worst affected is the Metropolitan Police (£282m), followed by West Midlands (£34m) and Kent (£31m). Together the three forces will have a combined budget deficit of £347m by 2026.
While forecasts aren’t set in stone, p...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 15, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release Christina McAnea police and justice Source Type: news
Heartbreaking stories of workplace harassment heard at NDC
Chaired by UNISON vice-president Amerit Rait, the second day of the union’s national delegate conference passed a motion on tackling harassment at work.
Introducing the motion, the chair of the Welsh regional young members forum Ryan Hopkins said that harassment is one of the key issues raised by young members in the union.
Mr Hopkins drew the links between government cuts to services and increased harassment that workers face from members of the public: “Being justifiably stressed by a lack of services does not justify harassment, and it makes it more difficult for workers to put all of themselves into their job.”
T...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 15, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News 2023 National Delegate Conference young members Source Type: news
International motions on women ’ s rights and Palestine passed at NDC
Chaired by Libby Nolan, the third morning of UNISON’s 2023 national delegate conference saw declarations of international solidarity, particularly on women’s rights and Palestine.
The conference session began with a one minute silence to pay respects to Alan Jinkinson, UNISON’s first general secretary who died last year.
Delegates then heard two impassioned speeches from trade union leader Gonul Erden and Rosa Pavanelli (pictured), the general secretary of Public Services International, the global union federation for public sector trade unions.
Ms Erden, only recently released from prison in Turkey, addressed UNISON...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 15, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News 2023 National Delegate Conference gonul erden Palestine women's rights Source Type: news
