Refuse, cleansing and grounds maintenance staff at Three Rivers District Council have won a massive increase to sick pay and annual leave. For years the council’s depot staff had been on second-class terms and conditions compared with office-based workers. Waste services staff were only getting statutory sick pay in their first year of service, rising […]
Article
The more public service workers are in UNISON, the stronger UNISON is — meaning public service workers win better deals for themselves and their services. That doesn’t just mean recruiting new members, it means hanging on to the ones we’ve got. That’s why UNISON Eastern launched a regional retention strategy last year, laying out some […]
Eastern activists joined education support staff from across the country in Parliament last night for a celebration of 10 years of Stars in Our Schools. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards spoke about the inspiring work school support staff do and the imminent return of the Schools Support Staff Negotiation […]
Members in local government, health, schools and elsewhere across Cambridgeshire and beyond have been expanding their knowledge of all aspects of menopause through an online menopause café run by the Cambridgeshire County branch. Launched in January 2022, the café has covered a broad spectrum of menopause issues, including employment rights, exercise, diet, overcoming stereotyping, sex […]
University of East Anglia’s plans to cut another 170 jobs ‘are sure to hit the student experience’, UNISON warns today. The union, which represents professional services staff such as cleaners, caterers and admin says staff are already struggling after more than 400 posts went last year. The entire learning and teaching department is affected with […]
Healthcare support workers at East and North Hertfordshire NHS Foundation Trust will stage two three-day strikes from next week after years of being underpaid for their work, says UNISON today. More than 200 clinical support workers should be properly compensated for carrying out band 3 clinical tasks – such as blood monitoring, ECGs and patient […]
South Cambridgeshire District Council has pledged a commitment to tackling racism — and promoting equality — by signing UNISON’s Anti-Racism Charter. The charter aims to tackle racism in the public sector on a national level. It commits organisations and their leaders to having a clear and visible race equality policy, as well as programme of […]
Senior managers at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT) have given themselves a discount on the hospital parking charges paid by all other employees, UNISON says today. The trust came under fire earlier this year for reintroducing staff parking charges, with more than 5,000 health workers and patients signing a UNISON petition branding […]
School support staff in Cambridgeshire are celebrating after settling a dispute with the Astrea Academy Trust over new-starters being offered better pay than existing staff. The trust had different sets of pay and conditions in Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and Cambridgeshire, where it runs the St Ivo Academy in St Ives, Cottenham Village College and the […]
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) bosses put patient safety at risk by bringing in untrained strikebreakers during last month’s industrial action, says UNISON today. In a letter to ESNEFT chief executive Nick Hulme, the union highlights “serious concerns” about the trust’s “reckless” decision which saw staff brought in from as far […]
UNISON Eastern Black members made a splash at the Bedford River Festival in July, proudly representing the union over the two-day event, writes Firdos Finch. Clad in eye-catching rainbow attire to celebrate Year of LGBT+ Workers, 17 members of the Black members group ran a recruitment stall over the weekend, aided by a couple of […]
We speak to Jo Bateman about becoming equalities activist of the year
We speak to UNISON Eastern young activist of the year Tyler Wythe
Eastern region is allowed to send two motions to national delegate conference. This year, regional council opted to send one on challenging the exploitation of migrant workers to the union’s highest decision-making body. Glenn Carrington, chair of the East of England Ambulance Service branch, raised the issue after his eyes were opened over a bank […]
We talk to UNISON Eastern activist of the year Elisa Vasquez-Walters