Blog: This is democracy in action
There is something important happening inside our union right now, and every UNISON member has the chance to take part in it. It’s our National Executive Council (NEC) elections, and this week, the ballot opened.
Whoever you elect to the NEC, will work with me to steer our union over the next two years. As the leader of our great union, I’ve always been clear that we want to increase participation in important votes like these, so that as many members as possible have their say.
The seats on the NEC are important leadership positions. They come with big responsibilities and have an impact on how our union operates, and...
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 20, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Christina McAnea Tags: General Secretary's blog Christina McAnea NEC NEC elections 2023 Source Type: news
Health workers and activists on the brink
Delegates at UNISON’s health conference in Bournemouth this week shared harrowing experiences of how they and their fellow members are suffering the mental toll of their duties and workplace experiences, through and beyond the pandemic.
The persistent theme was of a workforce hellbent on protecting the public – and, in the case of activists, protecting their fellow members – while paying the price in their own deteriorating health and wellbeing.
Martin McKay, of Scotland region, summed up a health crisis within the health service, when he said: “Everyone in this room is carrying the trauma of the last three years. ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 19, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: News 2023 National Health Conference mental health Source Type: news
Health conference celebrates union ’ s re-banding wins
The ground-breaking re-banding of health care assistants (HCAs) achieved by UNISON branches in recent months was celebrated by health conference delegates in Bournemouth yesterday, during a busy afternoon of Agenda for Change motions.
Campaigns on overtime, reducing the working week and protecting the NHS pension were among the other key topics discussed by delegates.
Among the re-banding wins, last year thousands of HCAs across Manchester received up to £5,000 in backdated earnings, after a six-year battle to be re-banded, from band 2 to 3, in acknowledgement of the fact they were carrying out clinical duties way beyond ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 18, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: News 2023 National Health Conference pay fair for patient care Source Type: news
UNISON secures pay win for Canal and River Trust workers
Canal and River Trust workers keep England and Wales’ waterways running smoothly by removing waste, keeping towpaths clear and maintaining locks and moorings among other duties. The average salary is around £26,000.
In 2022, workers were offered a below-inflation increase of 5.5%, made up of a 4% interim award in June and an extra 1.5% in October. An overwhelming majority of UNISON members (83%) rejected it.
After negotiations at ACAS, UNISON representatives secured an offer of 8.2% and a £250 lump sum for each worker. 94% of members voted to accept.
UNISON national officer Andrew Dobbie said: “Members will now be se...
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 18, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Janey Starling Tags: News canal and river trust Community and Voluntary Sector Source Type: news
Powerful anti-racism debate opens UNISON health conference
UNISON’s national health conference opened in Bournemouth today (Monday) with a passionate debate on the continuing fight against racism in the NHS.
The motion ‘Challenging racism in the NHS’, noted that data from the NHS Workforce Race Equalities Standard (WRES) continues to show that higher levels of Black workers are experiencing harassment, bullying and abuse from staff and patients, than their white colleagues.
Black workers also have less access to training and career opportunities than white workers, and are more likely to be disciplined.
As one delegate told the conference: “Racism is rife in the NHS.”
Ma...
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 17, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: Article News 2023 National Health Conference NHS one team Stand up to racism Source Type: news
Insourcing win at North Middlesex University Hospital
Nearly 300 cleaning and catering staff at North Middlesex University Hospital will be brought back in-house following a UNISON campaign.
The workers, employed on zero hours contracts by Medirest, have been working under worse terms and conditions compared to colleagues directly employed by the NHS.
The trust has also agreed a commitment to increase pay for portering staff, who will receive the London living wage from 1 September 2023.
UNISON North Middlesex Hospital branch secretary Paula Ward said: “UNISON have been in talks with the trust regarding bringing this service back in-house for over a year, and we welcome the...
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 17, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News health workers insourcing NHS Source Type: news
NHS spending over £1m a week on private ambulances for 999 callouts, says UNISON
The NHS is spending at least £61 million a year – over £1m a week or £167,000 a day – hiring private ambulances to attend emergency calls, says UNISON today (Monday) as its annual health conference opens in Bournemouth.
North West Ambulance Service spent more than £15m between January and December 2022 on private emergency services, according to data obtained by the union.
South Central Ambulance Service spent £19m over the past financial year, North East Ambulance Service is paying just under £7m annually, and South East Coast around £6m a year.
East Midlands Ambulance Service predicts a £9.5m spend in the ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 17, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release Ambulance Sara Gorton Source Type: news
UNISON health workers vote to accept NHS pay offer
NHS workers who belong to UNISON have voted decisively to accept the pay offer from the government, says the union today (Friday).
The consultation of 288,000 NHS workers across England closed at 3pm this afternoon. Almost three quarters (74%) voted to accept the offer, and 26% to reject.
Turnout in the consultation exercise was 53%, with 152,329 votes cast. Of these 112,458 voted yes, and 39,871 no.
NHS staff across England have been taking part in the online consultation exercise since the end of March.
UNISON had recommended acceptance of the offer, which came out of the pay talks involving unions, employers and minist...
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 14, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Simon Jackson Tags: News Press release nhs pay consultation nhs strikes PutNHSPayRight Source Type: news
Decisive outcome as UNISON members vote to accept NHS pay offer in England
In a record turnout for health members in UNISON, over 150,000 members voted in a consultation on the new NHS pay offer, with 74% of these voting to accept.
That means over 112,000 members working in every part of the NHS voted to accept, put cash in their pockets and give certainty about pay for the next year.
Results:
74% voted Yes, to accept the offer
26% voted No, to reject the offer
53% turnout, with 152,329 votes cast
The vote comes after months of strike action across the country by UNISON members, whose courage and determination to repeatedly join picket lines has demonstrated a simple fact – industrial actio...
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 14, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Simon Jackson Tags: Article News health nhs pay consultation nhs strikes Put NHS pay right Source Type: news
The government must intervene on Environment Agency pay to prevent permanent damage
Staff at the Environment Agency will today (Friday) begin a third block of strike action in the ongoing dispute over their “woeful” pay rise, says UNISON.
Workers providing crucial services to ensure communities are kept safe, pollution-free and protected will walk out over the space of four days spanning this weekend.
It marks a significant escalation of the industrial action that began late last year to win a wage rise that would enable the Agency workforce to better weather the ongoing financial storm, says UNISON.
Staff have had a terrible deal, which amounts to one of the worst wage rises paid to public sector w...
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 13, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Anthony Barnes Tags: News Press release Environment agency strike Source Type: news
Care workers in Powys face fire and rehire
UNISON members working for Shaw Healthcare have been forced to accept changes to their contracts or face being fired and rehired.
Carers will no longer have a paid 30-minute break and their shifts have been extended by half an hour. Shaw has also banned staff from eating prepared food with residents at meal times, which was a contractual right. Now staff will be allowed to eat ‘leftovers’ if they pay.
Shaw executives have so far refused to negotiate with UNISON Cymru/Wales representatives. On Tuesday 11 April, the union wrote an open letter to Powys County Council warning the authority that its care contractor’s ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 13, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News care workers Cymru Wales fire and rehire Source Type: news
UNISON prepares ‘ robust response ’ to government ’ s attempts to divide the health team
UNISON has reaffirmed its commitment to the One Team campaign for the health service, in the face of the government’s “divisive” actions during the NHS pay dispute, the national executive council (NEC) heard today.
Health members in England are currently voting on the government’s latest pay offer. The ballot closes at 3pm on Thursday 13 April. By the time delegates meet for the national health conference next week, results will be through and next steps will be debated.
In her NEC report, general secretary Christina McAnea said that, ahead of conference, the health service group executive had discussed the Westmin...
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 12, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: Article News 2023 year of Black Workers cqc pay health pay local government pay – the National Joint Council (NJC) NEC Source Type: news
UNISON condemns government plans to X-ray children seeking asylum
UNISON members working in health have spoken out against government plans to X-ray children seeking asylum in the UK in order to confirm their age.
Chair of UNISON’s science, therapy and technical occupational group Gemma Jones said the plans “break the code of conduct of radiography staff and their legal duties for radiation protection by instructing them to expose vulnerable individuals to ionising radiation without consent and without any medical need, for a procedure that is not reliable to determine age.”
Ms Jones also said the proposal “seeks to make healthcare staff complicit in the government’s cruelty....
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 12, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article News Illegal Migration Bill Source Type: news
Raise wage offer and prevent more university strikes, says UNISON
Support staff at 14 universities in England are being balloted from this week for industrial action over the “inadequate” pay offer from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), says UNISON today (Thursday).
Over the next five weeks, higher education workers including cleaners, IT technicians and library staff are to vote on whether to strike after the university employers put forward a wage rise that’s way below inflation, the union says.
The ballot of staff at universities in Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, London, Brighton, Bristol, Winchester and Luton began on Tuesday (4 April) and cont...
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 6, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release higher education Mike Short Source Type: news
Trade unionist Gonul Erden released from prison in Turkey
On 13 March, the trade unionist and longstanding friend of UNISON Gonul Erden, was released from prison in Turkey.
Ms Erden (pictured above, centre) is one of eight leading members of SES, the health and social services union in Turkey, who are charged with terrorism for their trade union work.
UNISON representatives attended the fourth trial date at the heavy penal court in Ankara on 13 March. The hearing focused on two things: Gonul and fellow trade unionist Selma Atabey’s requests for bail, and addressing false accusations that they had attended a terrorist training camp in Iraq.
The state prosecutor claims Ms Erd...
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 6, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article working internationally Source Type: news
