When Durham councillors meet next week, they should think again about this senseless cut. And those councils currently considering similar action should do likewise. For our the sake of our…Read more…
Privatisation: one of the greatest scourges of our NHS
Our union has always fought to defend our publicly-funded health service, free at the point of delivery. As long as that is under threat, we have to make sure the government hear our voices loudly…Read more…
I wish I could be shocked by the “Panama Papers”
Tax avoidance on this scale is simply the poorest paying the price for the grubby venality of the rich. Governments around the world now need to develop concrete and workable solutions to root out…Read more…
This isn’t a “living wage” – it’s a rebranded minimum wage
From today, many low-paid workers will begin to receive the so-called “national living wage” – of course, the new wage level is anything but
The article This isn’t a “living wage”…Read more…
What schools need is stability, not constant faddish upheaval
What do parents want from their children’s schools? Quality teaching and a nurturing environment would probably be on most people’s lists. Hiring lawyers and accountants to manage a transfer of land…Read more…
When a government’s response to debt is austerity, the impact is devastating
Today I’m speaking at a conference examining the impact of sovereign debt crises on public sector workers. As UNISON members know, when a government’s response to debt is austerity, the impact is…Read more…
Across our country those who the vulnerable rely upon are being let down
Vitally important care workers are being paid far less than the absolute basic minimum that they should receive. Nearly twenty years on from the establishment of a minimum wage in this country, that…Read more…
All parties in Northern Ireland must listen to UNISON members
Northern Ireland has been transformed in recent years – but for a part of the world that has faced such hardship, the impact of austerity is significant and painful.
The article All parties in…Read more…
Police staff cuts and crime rises – the correlation is clear
For a government intent on slashing police spending, their chickens are coming home to roost. And with the Police and Crime Commissioner elections less than two months away, there has never been a…Read more…
Disability cuts – a warped sense of priorities
The government’s decision to slash Personal Independence Payments (PIP) whilst giving a tax cut to those earning comfortably more than the average UK salary shows a warped sense of priorities.
The…Read more…
Another budget, another year of cuts, another year of failure
We’re six years into the Osborne experiment, and the Chancellor is still forcing the British people to swallow the same medicine – even when it’s clear it’s not working
The article Another budget,…Read more…
For your decades of dedication – thank you
You are our union. You are what gives us our strength. And as the government attempts to silence us and limit our ability to campaign, you will be what keeps this union moving forward.
The article…Read more…
Decent housing for all – is that such an unrealistic demand?
UNISON is supporting the “Kill The Housing Bill” campaign, calling for significant investment in building more homes of all types to alleviate the housing crisis, and for improvements to the Bill to…Read more…
UNISON, Banks and the Robin Hood Tax
A financial transactions tax levied on the banks would allow the sector that caused the crash to pay a greater share back to the society they damaged with their greed and recklessness.
The article…Read more…
A message that must run through our union every single day
Our union will always stand up and speak out on pay, on justice, on representation and on violence against women. That’s a message that isn’t simply for International Women’s Day – it’s a message…Read more…
Npower needs to get its act together
No-one deserves to hear that their job might be at risk when they’re at home with their family at the weekend.
The article Npower needs to get its act together first appeared on the UNISON site.Read more…
We can achieve so much together
There is much that Unison in other branches, in Scotland and across the UK, can learn from successful branches like the Glasgow health branch.
The article We can achieve so much together first…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 values I grew up with are the same as those at the heart of this great union
The values that I grew up with in Leeds are the values that are at the heart of our great union, driving the members, activists and staff who achieve so much. And they’re what I’m proud to fight for…Read more…
Have you worked more hours than you’re paid for?
Each year more than five million people – including many dedicated public servants – work an average of almost eight hours a week in unpaid overtime, according to research published today by the TUC….Read more…