THE Communist Party of Ireland (CPI) has called on working people in Northern Ireland and Britain to vote to leave the European Union in the coming referendum. “A vote to leave can be a vote for a…Read more…
The Deane Review of Self-employment
03 March 2016
By Professor Mark Freedland
In May 2015, the researchers of the House of Commons Library identified the United Kingdom’s ‘self-employment boom’ as one of the key issues for the 2015…Read more…
Fight to save youth workers’ future
Hundreds of youth workers are today (March 3) lobbying the Local Government Association in an effort to save the ‘pink book’ which protects their pay terms and conditions. Unite – which…Read more…
Reduction in the Working Week Guards/Commercial Guards– South West Trains
To All Branches, Regional Offices & Regional Councils Circular No IR/049/16 3rd March 2016 Our Ref: BR2/0004 Dear…Read more…
Dublin: Cadbury Strike begins tomorrow for indefinite duration
The strike action will begin at 7am SIPTU and Unite members will begin a strike of indefinite duration at the Cadbury production plant in Coolock in Dublin at 7am tomorrow in a dispute concerning the…Read more…
UNISON has empowered me to speak up
Polly Smith, homecare worker
Once I was in a care home and a man took out a knife. The non-trade union members didn’t act on it – they thought if they told anyone about it, managers would think they were complaining and they’d lose their jobs. But I thought that there must be a reason behind the behaviour, and I rang the office and told them about it.
I work in homecare now as part of a re-enablement programme, which means we try to get people to regain independence so they can do things for themselves.
The oldest person I went to visit was 104 at the time; she did everything for herself. She had trouble bending over, but she could boil an egg. Just because you’re old doesn’t mean you can’t do things for yourself.
Nowadays I see a lot of harm being done. Employers are getting away with a lot and non-union members are letting them. For example, not letting homecare workers have breaks: some start work at 6.30am and finish at 10pm.
It doesn’t have to be like that – it leads to stress and sickness. You’ve got to stand up for yourself, and unions help you do that. Unions are insurance (with a small ‘i’); if you want assistance, if you want advice, the union can do that for you.
Homecare workers have a lot more responsibility than people give them credit for. People think homecare workers are just ‘the help’ who go in and do a bit of cleaning, but we can see when people are getting really ill. We see people once, maybe four times, a day so we notice the change in people – in a way doctors can’t.
The saddest thing is the impact of the cuts. For example, in the past someone who was incontinent was given pads and an inco sheet (which absorbs urine) for their bed .
Now they only get one or the other, so I’ll go in to see people in the morning and their pads are soaked, their beds are soaked, their mattress, even the floor. If they’d had an inco sheet it would have absorbed it.
In the end, it turned out the man with the knife was on the wrong medication. They only realised because I rang up. It was changed and he was completely different; he didn’t hurt anyone, or himself.
That’s what being in a trade union does – it empowers you to challenge things.
Engineering Construction Protest:
GMB Engineering Construction Workers Protest In Scotland, Wales And Yorkshire On 1st March About Undercutting On Power Station Sites Unscrupulous construction companies are exploiting non UK workers…Read more…
Welcome end to the council tax freeze, but this isn’t a proper reform of local taxation
The First Minister has made the welcome announcement that the Council Tax freeze will end next year and has published the outline of some reforms to local taxation. The much needed detail is due in…Read more…
Cuts smash Northern towns
Tory claims of creating a “Northern Powerhouse” have been laid bare as rubbish by a new report which shows that 10 of the UK’s top 12 struggling cities are in the north. Instead the Conservatives…Read more…
‘Rotten apple’ employers
More bad news for Shepton Mallet Cider Mill came today (March 2) as C&C Group announced its first 40 redundancies, with workers’ last day set for May 25. Unite regional coordinating…Read more…
Bookies demand living wage
Sean Graham bookmakers have voted unanimously to take strike action over poverty pay, with initial strike dates to coincide with the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup. The mandate for strike action…Read more…
TU Bill : ‘Biased’ plans slammed by Lords
Buried within the trade union Bill are plans to choke Labour party funding by changing the way members sign up to contribute to unions’ political funds. It was an unabashedly partisan move…Read more…
Sports Direct falls from FTSE 100
After concerted campaigning from Unite and several media investigations revealing draconian working conditions at the retail giant’s Shirebrook warehouse, Sports Direct has fallen out of the FTSE 100…Read more…
Call off the cull plea
The Tories plan to cull another 50,000 badgers in an effort they claim will reduce the number of cases of bovine TB in cattle. But animal rights campaigners say evidence that culling badgers…Read more…
We stand on the shoulders of the giants who came before us
We all stand on the shoulders of the giants who came before us. Those who gave so much of themselves to our great union. People like Peter and Clwyd, and countless others, who I’ll be remembering…Read more…
The truth about the cuts
UNISON members describe how cuts to services are affecting both themselves and the people in their care
The article The truth about the cuts first appeared on the UNISON site.Read more…
UNISON response to Scottish Government council tax announcement today (2 March)
2 March 2016
Dave Watson, UNISON head of policy and public affairs said,
‘UNISON welcomes any progress on the council tax freeze. However after 8 years we had expected more than tinkering with the present system. This will not ensure that local government is properly funded, nor will it ensure a fair funding for local government. Scotland needs a fundamental review local tax funding for localRead more…
The truth about the cuts: the social worker
UNISON members reveal how cuts in services affect both them and the people in their care
The article The truth about the cuts: the social worker first appeared on the UNISON site.Read more…
Milton Keynes signs up to UNISON ethical care charter
Ethical Care Charter commits council to living wage and not using zero-hours contracts or 15-minute visits, giving dignity to vulnerable people
The article Milton Keynes signs up to UNISON ethical…Read more…
The truth about the cuts: the homecare worker
UNISON members reveal how cuts in services affect both them and the people in their care
The article The truth about the cuts: the homecare worker first appeared on the UNISON site.Read more…