Tim Roberts looks at the shocking results of new TUC survey on the job retention scheme in his latest blog post
Covid-19

Public service workers have earned their applause this year, says Tim Roberts, but the fight for real recognition goes onc

Local authorities in Essex declared a “major incident” today as the number of coronavirus cases threatens to overwhelm health services in the county. Hospitals are struggling with “significant growing demand,” says the Essex Resilience Forum, a body drawing together NHS, emergency services and local authorities. The announcement has been made in response to a “significant […]

UNISON’s Covid-19 response fund reopens today, offering grants of up to £500 to help members affected by the pandemic. If you are a UNISON member, you can apply for the fund if your income has been affected in any of the following ways: You and/or your partner are currently furloughed; You and/or your partner are […]

University staff including cleaners, security guards and administrative workers are facing a perfect storm of pressures that are leaving them out of pocket, and feeling increasingly anxious, a UNISON survey published this week has found. More than 160 employees in the east of England completed the union’s annual higher education survey, which exposed concerns about pay, working hours and […]

It’s not just in the NHS or local councils that UNISON members have been keeping our public services above water during the pandemic. In police forces across the UK, police community support officers (PCSOs), control room staff, scene of crime officers and many other support workers are proud to be in UNISON. Carol Johnson is one of […]

Acting regional secretary Tim Roberts urges public sector workers to grab this chance to shape the new normal

It’s not just doctors and nurses who make up the NHS. It take a whole team to keep the health service going. And while cleaners, caterers and porters are visible and getting thanks, many seem to forget how vital administrators are to the NHS family. UNISON Eastern spoke to Lily Martin, an admin worker in Addenbrooke’s Patient […]

Plans for £22m of cuts and hundreds of job losses at Luton Borough Council will ‘heap misery’ on the town, UNISON warns today. The Council faces a £50m shortfall because of the Covid-19 pandemic, mainly because of its reliance on income from the airport. The £11.2m from central Government falls well short of what’s needed […]