Members of the University and College Union (UCU) and UNISON in further education colleges in England will be taking strike action on Tuesday 24 February in a row over pay. Staff are angry that the…Read more…
Suspension of planned privatisation of cancer services in Staffs
The news today (Tuesday) that the threatened privatisation of NHS cancer services in Staffordshire has been put on hold has been welcomed by UNISON. But the union is urging health bosses to drop the…Read more…
UNISON disappointed by job cuts at British Gas
Commenting on the announcement today (Tuesday) that 500 jobs are to go at British Gas, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said: “It is disappointing that British Gas are cutting yet more jobs…Read more…
Three quarters of councils still insisting on 15 minute homecare visits for elderly and disabled people, reveals UNISON report
Three quarters (74 per cent) of local authorities in England are still limiting homecare visits for their elderly, ill and disabled residents to just 15 minutes, says UNISON in a report published…Read more…
UNISON says new nursing role is no solution to the nursing shortage
Government plans to introduce a new role of nursing associate must provide genuine opportunities to enhance the role of health care assistants (HCAs) but will not solve the fundamental problem of…Read more…
Local government pension funds, not ministers should decide where to invest their members’ money, says UNISON
Local government pension funds must be able to decide where to invest their money in the best interests of present and future pensioners, and should not have their investment decisions dictated by…Read more…
Emergency control room mergers are only about cost-cutting, says UNISON
Government plans, which could see the merger of the control rooms that take 999 calls for the three emergency services in England, are purely and simply about cutting costs and will do nothing to…Read more…
Together we can defeat the scourge of racism says UNISON
Speaking at the UNISON black members conference in North Wales, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said: “The first responsibility of any union wanting to challenge racism must be to take it on in…Read more…
Plans for reform of the courts could deny workers justice, says UNISON
Possible government plans to make employment tribunals part of the civil courts system, and for online courts to hear claims up to £25,000, would make it extremely difficult for workers wronged by…Read more…
UNISON welcomes transgender equality report and says action is needed now
Welcoming the report released today (Thursday) by the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said: “The discrimination and harassment faced by trans…Read more…
UNISON slams redundancy plans at NHS Property Services
UNISON has today (Thursday) criticised plans by NHS Property Services to make more than 140 posts redundant in England. Roles at risk include those responsible for maintaining the safety and high…Read more…
Government priorities bring no respite for school business managers
Government proposals for schools in England, set out in the Education and Adoption Bill, miss the important issues currently facing schools, says UNISON. The public services union believe that a…Read more…
UNISON says local government pension scheme is safe and sustainable
Dismissing the Centre for Policy Studies report on the local government pensions scheme (LGPS) published today (Sunday), UNISON head of pensions Glyn Jenkins said: “UNISON fundamentally disagrees…Read more…
Axing NHS bursaries will saddle nurses with debt until retirement, warns UNISON
Nurses and other healthcare workers will be paying off their student loans almost until the day they retire UNISON is warning today (Saturday), as student nurses prepare to take part in protests…Read more…
Failure of hospitals to meet safe staffing targets is no great surprise, says UNISON
An analysis published today (Monday) by the Health Service Journal, which found that nine in ten hospitals in England are failing to meet their own safe staffing targets for the number of nurses on…Read more…
Dave Prentis re-elected as UNISON general secretary
Dave Prentis has today been re-elected as General Secretary of UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector union. Voting in the ballot was as follows: Roger Bannister 16,853 (12.6 per cent) John Burgess…Read more…
UNISON consultation shows overwhelming backing for new pension deal at EDF Energy
UNISON members working for EDF Energy have today (Thursday) overwhelmingly backed a new pension deal negotiated by the union. The deal provides new entrants access to a defined benefit pension scheme…Read more…
UNISON calls on the government to also scrap ET fees following the end of the criminal courts charge
Commenting on the Secretary of State for Justice’s decision to scrap the criminal courts charge, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said: “ Removing the criminal courts charge is right. I now call…Read more…
UNISON is to ballot workers in Further Education colleges in row over pay
UNISON is to ballot further education (FE) workers in England in a row over pay, the union says today (Friday). The ballot – which will open in the New Year – is in response to the national…Read more…
UNISON says workers must be protected in climate change talks through ‘Just Transition’ agreement
UNISON has today (Friday) taken to the international stage to make the case that workers whose jobs are affected by climate change must have protection that is legally binding in the final agreement….Read more…