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
Majority of homecare staff are unpaid for travel between visits
Three quarters (75%) of care staff who look after people at home are not being paid for the time it takes them to travel between appointments, says UNISON today (Thursday).
The union says the finding, from a survey of more than 300 domiciliary care workers across England, reveals employers are effectively breaking minimum wage laws.
As a result, staff are hundreds of pounds short each month. This is money they can little afford to lose from their already rock-bottom wages and is rightfully theirs, says UNISON.
Homecare workers spend almost a fifth (19%) of their working day travelling between people’s homes*. UNISON ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 14, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Anthony Barnes Tags: News Press release adult social care homecare workers travel time Source Type: news
‘ We remain strong and defiant ’
UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea today praised the thousands of members and activists who have “risen up and grabbed the opportunities of our campaigns and action.”
Ms McAnea opened a wide-ranging and quietly passionate speech to national delegate conference with a simple observation – “What a year we’ve had” – before presenting a list of achievements that were “changing history” and the lives of members throughout the UK.
These were “the picket lines, demos, rallies and campaigns that UNISON has either led, or supported, across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, all through the...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 14, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: Article News 2023 National Delegate Conference 2023 year of Black Workers Christina McAnea general secretary Source Type: news
Conference urged to fight for truth and justice in COVID inquiry
UNISON’s national delegate conference in Liverpool opened its afternoon session yesterday with Professor Lynn Sudbury-Riley speaking of her work with the COVID Bereaved Families for Justice.
She opened by saying: “Today is a special day, because while there have been lots of rounds of preliminary hearings and meetings, today, the public hearings for the COVID-19 inquiry finally begin.”
She explained the importance of the inquiry to her, personally, “due to the way my lovely dad died back in March 2020 – he’d gone into the Royal Liverpool Hospital not far from here because of a foot operation a few weeks earlier...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 14, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Simon Jackson Tags: Article News 2023 National Delegate Conference covid covid inquiry Source Type: news
NHS pay process needs fundamental reset, says UNISON
Commenting on the health secretary’s announcement today (Tuesday) that there’s to be a re-assessment of the NHS pay review body process*, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:
“Without fundamental change, the government risks sleepwalking into a disastrous repeat of the shambolic way ministers handled the two most recent pay rounds.
“The pay review body belongs to a different time. It exists in a vacuum, and that no longer works. A more relevant, modern approach to setting pay in the NHS is long overdue.
“Pay and staffing issues must be considered together. Wages are the critical ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 13, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release Christina McAnea nhs pay Source Type: news
Supporting lower paid women in UNISON
UNISON’s 2023 national delegate conference opened with a motion on increasing participation of lower paid women within the union.
The motion was introduced by Sharon Foster, on behalf of the national women’s committee. Ms Foster said: “Let’s face it. Sometimes women need a little bit of encouragement to step into the limelight and get more active in UNISON.”
“Most women are trapped in casualised, low paid work, and in-work poverty remains a consistent problem. It’s crucial for women everywhere, now more than ever, to make sure women’s voices are heard. To actively campaign and force change.
“The determin...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 13, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article 2023 National Delegate Conference low-paid women Source Type: news
‘ Activists are the lifeblood of our union, ’ says Andrea Egan
Today, UNISON president Andrea Egan opened the union’s 2023 national delegate conference in Liverpool with a speech to members.
Referencing her roots as a Bolton woman, she said “I’m very proud to offer you a warm welcome here to the North West, the biggest of our union’s regions.
“Having been active in my branch for over 30 years, I’ve always been grateful to UNISON for the platform it has given me to fight for our members and within our community.”
Ms Egan also expressed her pride at leading the union through a “critical” year for members, which has seen workers across the union tak...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 13, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News 2023 National Delegate Conference Andrea Egan Source Type: news
Food Standards Agency workers call for fair pay
Workers who play a critical role in making sure our food is safe to eat are undervalued and overworked, delegates at UNISON’s local government conference were told.
A meat hygiene inspector told conference: “Our pay is under attack. For the last 13 years, we’ve had meagre pay rises”.
They continued by saying that UNISON needs to recruit more members within the FSA and among its contractors. To do this, he said, “we must continue to do what works – negotiate and fight for our members.”
Another delegate, who inspects chickens, added: “I can no longer afford life’s basics, let alone life’s luxuries”.
As ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 13, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News 2023 local government conference food standards agency Source Type: news
Care workers take centre stage at local government conference
The final afternoon of the UNISON’s 2023 local government conference saw several motions on social care passed.
The session, chaired by UNISON president Andrea Egan, kicked off with a motion on a national care service.
Tony Barnsley, introducing the motion on behalf of the NJC local government committee, said: “The pandemic shone a light on social care for a lot of people in this country.
“On the one hand, we saw minimum-waged heroes putting themselves on the frontline, to care, despite lack of PPE. On the other hand were owners of these privatised care homes, demanding more money from the state.
“It is vit...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 13, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News 2023 local government conference care workers LGBT national care service social care Source Type: news
‘ Save local services before it ’s too late ’ says conference
Speakers at UNISON’s local government conference spoke passionately about the effects of cuts to essential public services and the need for action to save these services from decimation.
“Nearly three million people used food banks last year, while the rich are getting richer. We need a government willing to tax the rich to fund public services. We need a party that is unashamedly for the working class,” said one delegate.
According to UNISON research, councils across the UK are facing a funding shortfall of £3.2bn in 2023/24, rising to a cumulative funding gap of £5bn for 2024/25. Councils including Woking, Thurro...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 13, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News 2023 local government conference Source Type: news
A message of solidarity from trade unionists in Turkey
On the second day of UNISON’s local government conference, long-term friend of the union and trade union leader Mehmet Bozgeyik (pictured above, right) addressed delegates with a powerful speech.
Mr Bozgeyik is co-president of the confederation of public employees’ trade unions (KESK), Turkey.
Opening his speech, Mr Bozgeyik thanked UNISON members for their ongoing support for trade union members facing different forms of harassment in Turkey, which he described as an ‘autocratic’ country.
Mr Bozgeyik continued: “As you know, Turkey is not an isolated case in the world. There is a global trend of right wing pop...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 13, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News 2023 local government conference gonul erden Mehmet Bozgeyik Turkey Türkiye Source Type: news
Mayor of Liverpool opens UNISON ’ s energy conference
Bill Esterson (left) and Steve Rotherham (right), fielding questions from delegates
UNISON’s energy conference was opened this morning in Liverpool by the region’s metro mayor, Steve Rotherham.
He spoke to delegates about the region’s efforts toward decarbonisation and greening of its economy.
He said: “Since I was elected as metro mayor we have been working together for a better, fairer greener future for the people who call this place home.
“In 2019 our area was the first to declare a climate emergency and set our carbon neutral target to 2040 a full decade ahead of wider targets.
“But let’s be clear – ov...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 12, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Simon Jackson Tags: Article News 2023 National Energy Conference Liverpool UNISON north west Source Type: news
The case for better pay in local government is ‘compelling and clear cut’, says UNISON
An improved pay deal for council and school employees is vital for the economy and community services, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said today (Monday) in a keynote speech.
She was addressing the union’s annual local government conference in Liverpool as workers continue to vote in one of the biggest strike ballots the union has undertaken.
More than a third of a million council and school staff are being asked to vote on a £1,925 offer in England and Wales, significantly below UNISON’s claim for inflation plus 2%.
Christina McAnea told delegates: “Across the UK it often feels like local government is ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - June 12, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Anthony Barnes Tags: News Press release 2023 local government conference Source Type: news
