“A Council that supports its workers” – what’s at stake in Swindon local elections

The Swindon local elections on 3 May 2018 will be crucial to the future of residents and UNISON members. Labour group leader Jim Grant writes for UNISON Labour Link Labour only need to win four seats in order to become the majority party on the Council. We have done unprecedented levels of work so far […]

UNISON vows to fight on as Gloucestershire subco transfer date announced

  The Gloucestershire SubCo transfer date for around 700 NHS staff was confirmed as 1 April 2018 at a meeting of the Trust board last night. Commenting on the Board’s decision, UNISON organiser Michael Sweetman said: “Rushing the decision through on such short notice shows the Trust bosses are panicking. Staff were given just a […]

Joint Union Statement on Gloucestershire SubCo Board Decision

Unison, Unite the Union and the Royal College of Nursing are appalled that the Board of Gloucestershire Hospitals has chosen to proceed with its plan to transfer 750 of its lowest-paid staff outside the NHS. In doing so the Board of the Trust has ignored the views of the 900 staff who signed the petition […]

Savings from Dorset councils merger must go into frontline services

The Dorset councils merger will go ahead after the secretary of state for local government today authorised the change. Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch will form one authority covering the more built-up areas of the county. Dorset county council and the rest of the districts will merge into another. The Dorset councils merger will take place […]

Tories to blame for Somerset children’s services £14.6 million overspend

Somerset County Council has overshot its budget for children’s services by more than any other council in the country, new figures have revealed. The £14.6 million overspend is £3.5 million more than the next-worst council, Sheffield. Despite the overspend, Somerset children’s services were still rated as “Requires Improvement” by Ofsted in January this year. Many […]

UNISON Get Active awards for Paul and Ewa

Get Active awards for Somerset learning disability service campaigners

Two of Somerset’s campaigners for good services for people with learning disabilities won UNISON Get Active awards. Paul Kitto is UNISON LD convenor and works for Dimensions, the company the Learning Disability Service was outsourced to. He has led the Care not Cost campaign against cuts to services in the county. Paul won the “Eric […]

Unions lead rally to stop the Gloucestershire subco plan

Trade unions will this Wednesday hold a rally to stop the Gloucestershire subco plan to transfer 750 NHS staff into a separate company. Sign up to attend the rally on Facebook Health campaigners will assemble outside a meeting of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS trust governors who are set to discuss the proposals at their meeting that […]

UNISON and Nursing Times partnership helps support next generation of nurses

Student nurses can get an extra benefit from their UNISON membership

Caroline wins the better safety at work award

Devon NHS worker wins award for better safety at work

An NHS admin worker has won an award for her campaigning for better safety at work across the South West Caroline Emery, a health and safety rep for public service union UNISON, was presented with the award on Friday 26 January 2018 at the annual Get Active event. Caroline is a UNISON member in Torquay, […]

Plymouth branch win regional award

Plymouth branch win regional award

The city’s branch of public service union UNISON has won a regional award for its success in recruiting, training and organising members. Contrary to claims that people have stopped joining unions, membership of Plymouth in UNISON has grown for a number of years. Despite falling numbers of public service staff in the city, the branch […]

Yeovil Hospital in breach of licence

Moving 350 NHS staff into a Trust-owned private company has put Yeovil hospital in breach of licence. In a letter to NHS regulators, UNISON argues the Trust’s decisions must be investigated. Writing to NHS Improvement, UNISON set out Yeovil hospital’s failure to comply with the licencing requirement to have due regard for the NHS Constitution. […]

Victory for NHS campaigners as Southmead privatisation scrapped

Campaigning by NHS staff and trade unions has seen plans for Southmead privatisation scrapped by the hospital board. NHS staff and trade unions have welcomed news from North Bristol Trust ditching plans to outsource hundreds of workers. Over 1800 NBT staff signed a petition coordinated by UNISON against the subsidiary company (subco). Bristol’s four Labour MPs […]

Yeovil hospital staff transfer to private company marred by secrecy and grievance

Today 350 Yeovil hospital staff transfer to private company “Simply Serve” and lose their NHS badges. A group of staff have lodged a collective grievance against the hospital for the way they have handled the transfer to the subco set up by the Trust. In an unprecedented move, Trust bosses have banned a scheduled event […]

Get Active award winners 2018

The Get Active award winners 2018 show the range of great work done by UNISON activists. From fighting privatisation in Somerset’s learning disability service, to getting a fair deal for apprentices, this is what UNISON is about. Every nominee had done something to make workplaces and the community a fairer, safer and more equal place. […]

Time called on NHS subco outsourcing plans after Carillion collapse

The collapse of Carillion shows the risk to workers and service users from outsourcing, public service union UNISON has today told NHS bosses. The union is now calling for plans drawn up by South West health trusts to outsource thousands of staff into “subsidiary companies” (subcos) to be paused and reviewed in light of the […]