UNISON has today welcomed the news that nearly 300 workers on zero-hours contracts at Cambridgeshire County and Peterborough City councils will have their pay and hours protected during the Covid-19 pandemic. The union took the issue up with managers after a number of ‘relief staff’ on zero-hours contracts raised concerns. Relief staff work in reablement […]
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A trade union rep returning to the front lines of the NHS to join the battle against Covid-19 today praised West Suffolk Hospital’s response to the pandemic. UNISON Suffolk Health branch secretary Paul Pearson is returning to his role as an operating department practitioner in theatres and critical care, helping patients with Covid-19 and those going through emergency surgery […]
Tim Roberts has been appointed UNISON Eastern’s acting regional secretary following Chris Jenkinson’s departure to the East Midlands. Currently a regional manager leading the Essex team, Tim will take the reins as the most senior official in the region until a full recruitment process can take place for the permanent position. Tim paid tribute to […]
With the covid-19 virus preventing us delivering our activist education programme face to face, we’ve begun looking at alternative ways to train our stewards. UNISON is now offering activists the opportunity to train online, with courses for stewards, health and safety reps and union learning reps stage one and two already available. Some of these have […]
Final year nursing students will be safely supported if they want to join the fight against coronavirus, thanks to UNISON negotiators. The government announced plans last week to allow nursing students to spend the final six months of their course on clinical placement. UNISON quickly surveyed hundreds of students to get their views. Most said […]
North West Anglia Hospitals is planning to outsource a raft of services, including logistics, patient services and catering, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, UNISON warns. The proposals would be risky at the best of times but are ‘downright reckless’ in the midst of a public health emergency, says the union. It would mean all ‘soft […]
Regretfully, we’ve had to cancel or postpone all our regional meetings, courses and events due to the coronavirus. All regular courses up to the end of May have been cancelled and we’re working hard to reschedule the one-off courses in our member learning programme. We will review the viability of courses beyond May in line […]
Council workers from the East of England lobbied local government chiefs in Bury St Edmunds today, calling for a real pay rise after a decade of austerity. Since 2009, council and school workers’ real-terms pay has dropped by 22%. UNISON, GMB and Unite submitted a pay claim last summer, asking for a 10% rise and […]
Suffolk’s shake up of children’s services could turn out to be little more than a ‘sugar-coated closure programme’, UNISON warns today. UNISON, the trade union representing children’s centre staff, raises serious concerns about the plans in its response to the Council’s consultation, which closes at 5pm on Sunday. UNISON’s response is based on a survey […]
More than 100 cleaners at the University of East Anglia are looking forward to a boost in their March pay cheques after UNISON secured them thousands of pounds in missed holiday pay. Some staff will receive as much £300 after UNISON raised a grievance over the Norwich university’s failure to include regularly worked overtime in […]
REPRODUCTION, an exhibition on pre-conception, pregnancy, birth and childcare, has opened in the Guildhall, Cambridge. The exhibition by artist Emma Smith and supported by UNISON Cambridge City and South Cambs branch and Cambridge City Council. The exhibition is inspired by Maternity, a collection of letters by working women, brought together by the Women’s Co-operative Guild […]
Harlow’s refuse workers are celebrating after contractor Veolia took swift action to address bullying allegations and health and safety concerns at the Mead Park depot. UNISON submitted a collective grievance against the company last week after workers joined together to take action, with UNISON reps taking the problems to Harlow Council on Monday. Since then, […]
Harlow Council leader Mark Ingall and Danny Purton, the councillor responsible for waste and recycling, expressed their support for outsourced refuse collectors today, who complain about bullying and harassment from local Veolia managers. The Labour councillors backed UNISON’s calls for action to stop the bullying at the Mead Park depot in a meeting with regional […]
Refuse workers in Essex are threatening strike action after complaining about bullying, threats and safety breaches from private contractor Veolia, UNISON says today. Workers from the Mead Park depot in Harlow unanimously voted for a ballot at a meeting last night after a spate of incidents relating to health and safety and changes imposed without […]
Research from the TUC has found that Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has the biggest GP shortfall in England. Across the nation, there are nearly 1,000 fewer GPs since 2015, despite the Tories promising to increase numbers by 5,000, meaning there are now 9,325 fewer GPs than needed to safely serve patients. GP surgeries covered by Cambridgeshire […]