University workers reject below-inflation pay offer and vote on strike action

University workers including administrators, cleaners, security and catering staff are voting on whether to strike over pay, says UNISON today. Staff from the University of Bedfordshire, University of the Arts Norwich and University of East Anglia are balloting after overwhelmingly rejecting a 3% pay offer from the University and Colleges Employers Association in May. Nationally, […]

The front of West Suffolk Hospital

West Suffolk Hospital’s plan to cut staff benefits is ‘kicking NHS workers while they’re down’

Cutting staff benefits at West Suffolk Hospital is “kicking health workers while they’re down,” UNISON says today. The West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust board voted today on a package of cuts to staff conditions, including reintroducing parking charges from March. It comes just days after the government announced a real-terms pay cut for more than […]

Newly qualified paramedics enjoy UNISON-won pay boost

Many newly qualified paramedics in the East of England are beginning to see an increase in their pay this month after fighting together in UNISON for better banding. UNISON supported staff to put a collective grievance in against the trust over the NQP role. When the role was introduced in 2016, it was agreed that […]

Veolia workers outside the Mead Park depot

Harlow refuse workers call off strikes after improved pay offer

Harlow’s refuse workers have called off summer strike action after employer Veolia improved its pay offer and committed to a new collective agreement. An overwhelming 97% of workers backed walkouts after enduring years of below-inflation deals, including 0% in 2021 and 0.4% in 2020, leaving loaders barely above the legal minimum wage. Workers rejected Veolia’s […]

Mid and South Essex hospitals hit staff with parking charge pay cut

Thousands of Essex health staff face an effective pay cut as hospitals bosses plan to reintroduce parking charges, UNISON warns today. Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT), which runs Broomfield, Basildon and Southend hospitals, has told UNISON officials it wants to reintroduce staff parking charges from 1 August. Charges were scrapped during the […]

Local government workers tell bosses: ‘We’ve never been so hard up’

Local government workers “have never been so hard up” and it’s hitting the quality of services, council staff told bosses this morning at meeting of local government employers. Council and school staff were speaking at a meeting of the East of England Local Government Association to make the case for a pay boost of £2,000 […]

Harlow refuse workers vote for strike action

Veolia must now come to the negotiating table with an improved

Running in solidarity with those in need

There For You helps UNISON members experiencing financial difficulty. In past years, people would come to the charity when they experienced a sudden upheaval – illness, redundancy and the like – but increasingly they’re having to get in touch just to make ends meet. It’s not hard to see why: we’re enduring the highest period […]

UNISON's Isabel stands with Cllr Hassall in front of Hunts DC workers and a refuse lorry

Huntingdonshire District Council staff celebrate union recognition

Huntingdonshire District Council staff are celebrating today as managing director Jo Lancaster signs a union recognition agreement with UNISON. The voluntary agreement solidifies the relationship between the council and UNISON, laying out how both will work together to negotiate on behalf of staff. With this agreement in place, union officials will be provided with the […]

Sam speaks with her award

Meet our Activist of the Year Sam Hemraj

UNISON Eastern region isn’t short of amazing activists, so when it comes to picking the Activist of the Year, our judges have their work cut out. But it would be hard to argue with their decision to give the award to Sam Hemraj at our 2022 branch awards. “I was so surprised,” said Sam, North […]

Richard Bacon MP

NHS staff didn’t have the energy to let their hair down, UNISON tells MP Bacon

UNISON has condemned Tory MP Richard Bacon for his “heinous insult” to NHS staff while trying to defend under-fire Prime Minister Boris Johnson amid the PartyGate row. Speaking on BBC Look East, the South Norfolk MP said: “You haven’t gone and investigated it but there are one and a half million people who work in the […]

UNISON's Thabang Thacker and Josette Kennington watch Cambridgeshire County Council chief executive Stephen Moir sign the charter

Cambridgeshire County Council commits to Anti-Racism Charter

Cambridgeshire County Council has joined in partnership with the trade union, UNISON, to becoming an anti-racist organisation. It is the first upper tier local authority to sign the charter, committing the Council and its senior management to a range of pledges designed to prevent racial bias being put in place over the next 12 months. […]

Harlow's refuse workers ready for action

Harlow’s refuse workers could strike over pay

Refuse workers in Harlow will vote on strike action after rejecting a pay offer that fails to keep up with the rising cost of living, UNISON announces today. The union has told contractor Veolia that workers at the Mead Park depot will start voting on industrial action unless the firm commits to come to the […]

Thompsons: Supporting UNISON members and your families across the East of England

Every day, public service workers go above and beyond to support and protect our communities. But when accidents happen and workers face employment issues, there needs to be legal protection for those who protect. That’s why UNISON members and their families have access to free legal advice and representation from the UK’s leading lawyers for […]

Inspirational activists and branches awarded at One UNISON Weekend

The One UNISON Weekend isn’t just corking courses or wondrous workshops, it’s also our annual celebration of the activists who make UNISON Eastern region great. Every year we dish out awards recognising those branches and activists who have gone the extra mile for public service workers. All nominations were fiercely debated by the region’s finance, […]