essex

Print / Translate

Print page Translate page
UNISON activists pose with banners support fair pay for care workers outside County Hall in Chelmsford
Posted on

Essex residents support social care pay rise ahead of council vote

Hundreds of postcards from Essex residents demanding better treatment for care workers will be handed over to county council leaders today. The postcards, collected by care workers’ union UNISON during town centre stalls, call on Essex County Council social care supremo John Spence to properly fund social care so that providers can pay staff a […]

Posted in
Posted on

Essex councillors must ensure care workers get a living wage

Care workers are calling on Essex councillors to guarantee a living wage and decent sick pay for the sector at tomorrow’s full council meeting. Essex County Council will debate a Labour motion recognising care staff’s “fantastic work” during the pandemic but pointing out that most continue to earn less than a living wage. Living Wage […]

Posted in
Posted on

Essex councillors to vote on social care pledge

UNISON Eastern is urging councillors in Essex to back a Labour motion on improving care workers’ conditions. The motion, echoing a pledge UNISON asked council candidates to sign before the last local elections, would commit the council to paying the living wage and occupational sick pay to care workers. We urge anyone in Essex who […]

Posted in
Posted on

Essex care workers seek living wage commitment from council candidates

Care workers will make the case for a real living wage direct to Essex County Council candidates today as part of an online Citizens Assembly. They are joining more than 100 community leaders seeking a number of commitments from candidates, including making the council an accredited Living Wage organisation, and ensuring all care contracts in […]

Posted in
Posted on

Essex care providers can act to stop rising Covid death toll

More than 100 people died in Essex care homes in the last week, new figures from the Office for National Statistics show. The 102 deaths reported to the Care Quality Commission between 23 and 29 January, up from 88 the week before, put Essex second only to Norfolk in local authority deaths. UNISON Eastern head of […]

Posted in
Posted on

Swift action needed to stop Essex major incident spiralling out of control

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 […]

Posted in
Posted on

Teaching assistants subject to ‘truly shocking violence’ at Braintree special needs school

Teaching assistants at a special needs school in Braintree are being bitten, kicked and spat on but managers are doing nothing about the violence, school support staff union UNISON warns today. A survey of support staff at The Edith Borthwick School found that 82% are worried about levels of violence, but only 19% of respondents […]

Posted in
Posted on

Essex libraries: these cuts are wrong

We joined Essex residents and campaigners outside County Hall in Chelmsford today to oppose the council’s plans to shut at least 1 in 3 libraries in Essex. UNISON Eastern’s Tim Roberts explains why libraries are so vital to communities in towns and villages across Essex. To keep up to date with the campaign visit the […]

Posted in
Posted on

Library closures: council threatens to rip the heart out of Essex communities

Essex County Council has announced plans to close a third of its libraries and draft in volunteers to keep others running. The council is launching a consultation, running for 12 weeks from 29 November on closing 25 libraries, handing 18 over to be fully run by volunteers, giving volunteers a greater role at 16 more, […]

Posted in