Cleaners and catering staff at two schools in Dorset are facing an uncertain future as Aspirations Academy Trust push through plans to outsource their employment to private contractors.
News
The judgment today (Friday) by the Supreme Court that social care staff are not entitled to the national minimum wage for every hour they work, including sleep-in shifts, is a huge blow for thousands across the country, says UNISON. The union says the ruling is a major disappointment, but that it increases pressure on the government to bring forward much needed reform of the crisis-ridden sector. Today’s […]
Bristol City Council is the latest local authority to sign up to UNISON’s ethical care charter today (Monday 15 March). Council leaders joined UNISON representatives to formally sign the charter in a virtual ceremony held this afternoon. The charter sets out a series of commitments to help protect the rights of homecare workers and ensure […]
Half of school support staff in England have been anxious about the return to classrooms this week, with many fearing measures to keep them safe are inadequate, according to a survey published today (Friday) by UNISON.
People are being asked to stand on their doorsteps and balconies tonight (Thursday) to slow handclap the government over its proposal for a 1% pay rise for NHS staff. The public action – backed by UNISON, health unions and the TUC – is the latest step in the campaign to achieve fair pay for health […]
Unions representing NHS staff across the UK say the chancellor has let down hard-working health workers by failing to announce a pay rise for them in the Budget. UNISON head of health Sara Gorton, who also chairs the NHS group of unions, said: “The chancellor had a golden opportunity to show the government values exhausted […]
Somerset County Council has reaffirmed their commitment to care workers, promising them full pay for COVID related absences. The announcement comes after negotiations between UNISON and the council and means that if care workers are required to self-isolate they can afford to do so. In August 2020, the council became the first in the South […]
NHS workers in the South West have asked the chancellor to recognise the work they’ve done to protect lives and fund a decent pay rise in this week’s Budget, says UNISON today (Monday). More than 60,000 health care assistants, porters, operating theatre staff, nurses, caterers, ambulance staff, cleaners and members of the public across the UK have signed a letter to Rishi […]
Employers must speed up pay offer.
Women in key worker positions across the South West are losing sleep, spending more on household bills, and worrying about the pandemic’s impact on their children’s education and mental health, according to a survey published today (Wednesday) by UNISON.
UNISON has written to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) this week, calling for improved guidance for employers on how to protect their Black and other vulnerable workers during the pandemic.
UNISON welcomes announcement that care workers who haven’t had a dose yet can make an appointment.
Government plans to hold down public-sector pay will cause a £142m blow to the South West’s economy, a TUC analysis shows today. A total of £1.3bn will be cut from keyworker pay settlements in England this year, after the chancellor announced the squeeze in November 2020, causing a forecast £1.7bn hit to England’s economy between […]
A third of COVID-19 deaths in the South West this year have occured in care homes across the region, figures from the Office for National Statistics show. 579 deaths were recorded in care homes in January, the stats show. Joanne Kaye, UNISON South West regional secretary said: “We’re almost a year into the global pandemic, […]
A £2,000 pay rise for all NHS workers across the South West would boost morale amid unrelenting pandemic pressures, says UNISON today (Thursday). The union is calling on the government to deliver an early and significant wage increase – of at least £2,000 – to show staff are valued as they face unprecedented hospital admissions. A recent UNISON survey shows more than nine out of ten NHS staff (91%) […]
