As widely predicted, UK government action on energy bills has turned out to be another damp squib. Ministers passed the buck yet again to Ofgem who have published plans for a ‘fairer and more…
The BBC can afford millions for the talent, but other staff are denied a fair wage
Over the last two days, we’ve seen wall-to-wall coverage of what the BBC’s leading lights get paid. That’s not surprising. Few stories offer such a perfect mix of celebrity gossip, financial drama and political intrigue. Of course journalists are going to jump on this one. But…
Greater London UNISON Housing Association Branch Executive 2017/2018
Picture from tonight’s Executive meeting held at L&Q office in Stratford. It is really great that lay activists turn up and participate after a full day’s work to such meetings. One of our Executive members went off afterwards to go on a night shif…
Public sector worker wages down
Public sector workers’ real wages in 2017 are down thousands of pounds a year compared to 2010, the TUC has found. Prison officers, paramedics and NHS dieticians are all down over £3,800 a year….
Higher education: Government urged to get a grip on vice chancellor salaries
UNISON has written to universities minister Jo Johnson to call for more transparency in decision-making over pay in the higher education sector.
The article Higher education: Government urged to get…
Is there really a public sector pay premium?
Over the weekend Chancellor Philip Hammond was reported as saying that public sector workers are overpaid. On the Andrew Marr show on Sunday he was given multiple opportunities to deny the accusation. But while he did not repeat the tone-deaf claim, ne…
‘Last resort’
Unite theatre staff members employed by Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s Warrington Hospital, have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action over changes to their…
Boost mental health care call
Unite is calling on the government to reverse the cuts to mental health nursing as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) report, published (July 20), finds that 25 per cent of core mental health services…
Workers stranded in diplomatic stand-off as Qatar and Saudi Arabia square up
As wealthy Gulf states face off over long simmering diplomatic differences, foreign workers in both countries are at risk of bearing the brunt of the dispute. An ongoing row in the Gulf over Qatar’s…
‘Roaring’ forties
Millions of workers in their forties will be forced to work an extra year before retiring, after the Tories announced they are raising the state pension age seven years earlier than planned. …
Govt ‘scramble’ for medics
Thousands of patients have had to move doctors in the last year due to the widespread closure of GP practices in England, shocking new statistics reveal. Some 202 practices were closed or…
‘Bribing’ crew attempts slammed
Members of Unite working for British Airways’ mixed fleet yesterday (July 19) announced a further 14 days of strike action amid warnings that the airline’s attempts to bribe people into not striking…
5 reasons why a “dependent contractor” test is a bad idea
One of the more curious suggestions to emerge from the Taylor Review is the proposal to replace the concept of “worker” in employment law with that of “dependent contractor”. This proposal might sound interesting, but here’s 5 reasons why it may not be such a good idea. All working people…
Follow the money: How do the tax and social security proposals in the Taylor Review measure up?
The rise of insecure work has had real consequences for both personal budgets and the national exchequer. The lower earnings and lower tax paid by the self-employed and those on zero hours contracts means the rise in insecure work has come with a £5bn price tag for the exchequer. But the cost of…
UNISON “There for You” appeal (collective self help for workers by workers)
Show your support for UNISON There for You by doing something magnificent today!
I am delighted to attach our review for 2016 illustrating just how, There for You, UNISON’s own charity, helped members and what we achieved.
Many of those …
The Taylor Review – should the Low Pay Commission be given more to do?
The Taylor review of modern working practices contains some important recommendations on low pay, the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and the Low Pay Commission (LPC). Taylor’s broad aim of empowering the LPC to do more to promote decent work is the right one, so the short answer to the question in the…
Pension age change another blow to public sector workers, says UNISON
Wednesday 19 July 2017 For immediate release Commenting on the government’s announcement that it plans to bring forward the rise in pension age from 67 to 68 by seven years, UNISON general secretary…
After seven years of pay cuts, I’m not proud to be a prison officer anymore
I started working for the prison service in 2005. Back then I was proud of what I did. I enjoyed the job and loved working with troubled teens. I had time to spend with the lads and could share my…
‘Out in the cold’
Members of Unite will be joining campaigners and concerned families in a march to save 19 Sure Start children centres and up to 50 staff from the axe by Medway Council tomorrow (Thursday July 20)….
May – help hungry kids plea
With the schools breaking up for the long summer holidays, Liverpool Walton MP Dan Carden appealed to the prime minister to do more to help families worried about how to feed their children during…