Extra policing cash can save Essex Police staff, says UNISON

Essex Police should use extra government funding announced today to prevent the loss of its remaining police community support officers (PCSOs), says UNISON. All 99 PCSOs and 65 other police support staff were threatened with redundancy earlier this week, with the force saying it didn’t have enough funding from government. Cuts would pile pressure on […]

Beds Health branch activists receive their award

Members urged to nominate the activists and branches who go the extra mile

UNISON Eastern members are being asked to nominate the activists and branches who have most impressed them over the last year for a One Weekend award. The annual awards celebrate UNISON Eastern branches and activists across a range of categories, from health and safety to learning and campaigning to communications. Winners will be crowned at […]

‘Nightmare before Christmas’ for Colchester and Ipswich healthcare support staff, says UNISON

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust is trying to give healthcare support workers £3,000 less than they were promised in a recent pay agreement, says UNISON today. The union and the trust reached an agreement in August to put healthcare support staff on a higher NHS pay band. This was in recognition of […]

The picket line at Ipswich Hospital

Essex and Suffolk health staff urge the government to honour pledges to stop NHS privatisation

The government should make good on its pledge to stop NHS privatisation and halt the sell-off of hundreds of jobs at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, says UNISON today. Cleaners, porters, housekeepers and other facilities staff have taken more than 40 strike days since August to try to stop the trust’s plans […]

East of England Ambulance workers lobby MPs to save Bedford emergency call centre

Ambulance workers from across the east of England are heading to Parliament today to ask MPs to stop the closure of Bedford’s emergency call centre, says UNISON. The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (EEAST) currently runs three emergency operations centres (EOCs) — in Bedford, Chelmsford and Norwich — where trained call-handlers receive […]

Migrant care worker? Share your experiences

We know that migrant care workers often face real struggles when they come to the UK for work. In order to better highlight the issues migrant care workers face and better support staff, UNISON is carrying out a migrant care workers survey. Winning better treatment for yourself, your colleagues and those yet to come is […]

Striking NHS staff vow to fight ‘reckless’ decision to outsource jobs

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) has made the “reckless” decision to outsource hundreds of cleaners, porters, housekeepers and other facilities staff, UNISON says today. Staff, who have already taken more than 30 days of strikes against the plans and are currently in the midst of a three-week walkout, have vowed to […]

Refuse, cleansing and grounds workers win boost to sick pay and annual leave

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 […]

Claire looks at the camera.

Retaining to win

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 […]

Bridget Phillipson addresses the meeting

Reclaiming a voice for school support staff

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 […]

Workers stand on the picket line

Essex and Suffolk health staff launch three-week strike to stay in the NHS

Cleaners, porters, housekeepers and other facilities staff start three weeks of strikes today to keep their jobs in the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), says UNISON. More than 350 workers, employed at Colchester Hospital, Aldeburgh Hospital and several other ESNEFT community sites, will walk out today until Friday 13 December – […]

Bess Sayers from Cambridgeshire County branch smiles at the camera.

Building more inclusive workspaces

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 […]

UEA cuts ‘will damage student experience’

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 […]

Cambridge residents must stand up to £3.5m cuts to services

Cambridge residents are being urged to oppose “unnecessary” proposals to cut £3.5 million of services in the city council’s budget consultation, UNISON says today. Despite having millions in reserves, Cambridge City Council is consulting residents on changes to scale back frontline services, including reducing street cleaning, closing public toilets, giving up control of community centres, […]

Hertfordshire NHS workers to strike after being shortchanged for years

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 […]