Articles
Two young UNISON Eastern activists have just returned from a ‘life-changing’ trip to Cuba, witnessing first-hand the socialist island’s struggle to survive and its huge May Day celebrations
There for You, UNISON’s welfare arm, is changing the way members can request financial help. You no longer apply for emergency grants using a separate form, now all applications are made using the Application for Assistance Form. Case managers will then triage the application and respond, hopefully within 48 hours. You can read the full […]
Striking Suffolk primary school staff will take their jobs fight directly to county councillors next week as they hand in a 600-strong petition at the council’s HQ. Hundreds of parents and Sudbury residents have signed the petition urging Pot Kiln Primary leaders and the council to abandon plans to sack classroom assistants and midday supervisors. […]
Hertfordshire Constabulary and UNISON have held a joint celebration for community support officers to mark 20 years of the role. Hertfordshire welcomed its first PCSOs in 2003, when 10 officers joined the beat in Watford and another four hit the streets of Stevenage. More joined later that year. To mark the occasion Chief Constable Charlie […]
Outsourced local government workers took their fight for fair pay to Colchester Council this week. Grounds maintenance staff working for contractor ID Verde lobbied a cabinet meeting in the city on Wednesday evening as they battle for a pay rise in line with their directly employed colleagues. UNISON Eastern regional organiser Sam Older told councillors […]
Refuse and cleansing workers in Breckland and North Norfolk have announced another week of strikes for fair pay, says UNISON today. Staff working for contractor Serco will strike from 11 to 14 April. They previously walked out from 13 to 17 March after the company failed to come up with a decent pay offer during […]
Planned East of England strikes for 20 March have been put on pause after the government made a new offer in the long-running dispute over NHS pay. After two weeks of frantic negotiations, ministers have offered an additional one-off lump sum for 2022/23 that rises in value up the NHS pay bands. This is worth […]
Higher Education workers from across the UK showed solidarity with staff at Norwich’s University of East Anglia today. They took time out from UNISON’s Higher Education conference to send a clear message to UEA bosses to stop cuts which could lop up to 20% off budgets. The university has been scant on the details of […]
UNISON’s second-ever Young Members Conference was held last month in Bournemouth, with Eastern delegates once again playing a major part in making the gathering a success. Our regional motions, Affordable housing is a human right and Uncomfortable yet? Sexual harassment is never OK, were both adopted by conference. The latter was even selected by conference […]
Without UNISON reps, there wouldn’t be a UNISON. Reps are the face of the union in the workplace and the first port of call when our members get in trouble. These volunteers make an immeasurable contribution to our union, often going far beyond the facility time available to make our public services better places to […]
Unfortunately despite the massive strike votes at NHS trusts across the Eastern region, the most restrictive trade union legislation in Europe means UNISON members cannot currently take action. We wish to offer our solidarity with other union with a mandate for action, but members should be aware of some advice if there are strikes at […]
Workers at King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Council will receive the full 2022/23 local government pay rise of £1,925 after a UNISON campaign. After staff rejected a 4-5% rise in a consultative ballot, further talks initiated by UNISON resulted in the improved offer, worth an average of 7.5%, with councillors and managers. The £1,925 rise […]
Refuse workers in East Suffolk have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in their ongoing fight for a real living wage, UNISON says today. More than 96% of East Suffolk Norse staff voted to strike on an 88% turnout, the union said. UNISON said the ballot result should be a wake-up call for Norse and the […]