A large group of pickets at Colchester Hospital

Colchester Hospital bosses ‘risked patient safety’ during strike

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) bosses put patient safety at risk by bringing in untrained strikebreakers during last month’s industrial action, says UNISON today. In a letter to ESNEFT chief executive Nick Hulme, the union highlights “serious concerns” about the trust’s “reckless” decision which saw staff brought in from as far […]

Colchester Hospital cleaners and porters stage week-long strike to stay in the NHS

​Hundreds of cleaners, porters, housekeepers and other Colchester Hospital support staff are to stage a week-long strike as they battle to keep their jobs in the NHS, says UNISON today. ​The walkout – from Monday 19 to Friday 23 August – will also hit several community sites run by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS […]

ESNEFT workers lobby a trust board meeting

Colchester Hospital staff vote to strike over sell-off plans

Hundreds of cleaners, porters, caterers and other facilities staff at Colchester Hospital have voted to strike against plans to sell their jobs out of the NHS, UNISON says today. Workers voted 99% in favour of walkouts over the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust’s (ESNEFT) intention to outsource facilities staff, says the union. […]

‘Shortchanged’ Colchester and Ipswich healthcare support staff vote to strike

More than 300 staff at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) have voted to strike after years of not being paid the full rate for the job, says UNISON today. An overwhelming 96% of clinical support staff backed strike action in a formal ballot, says the union. The workers, employed at the […]

Yoga teachers pose strike threat at Colchester Council, warns UNISON

Yoga, aerobics and Pilates instructors at Colchester City Council are voting on strike action after nearly a decade without a pay rise, says UNISON today. The Leisure World instructors are all directly employed by the council but their pay is determined differently to the scales used for other staff at the local authority. UNISON says […]

Huntingdonshire bin strikes back on as council refuses to implement agreed pay rise

Refuse, housing and customer service workers at Huntingdonshire Council will strike as bosses continue to refuse to implement an agreed pay deal, UNISON announces today. UNISON tried to end a long-running pay dispute earlier this month when its members voted to accept a 5% pay rise — one of three offers made by the council. […]

University of Bedfordshire staff join coordinated strike action over pay

Support staff at the University of Bedfordshire will join workers at 20 universities in England and Scotland in coordinated strikes for a decent pay rise, says UNISON today. More than 5,000 staff across the country could take part as they escalate their demand for a fair wage rise after many years of below-inflation increases. Staff […]

Would-be Huntingdonshire Council strikers accept improved pay deal

Strikes are off at Huntingdonshire District Council after workers accepted an improved pay offer, UNISON said today. Staff including refuse workers had been due to down tools last month, but suspended action to consult on a range of new offers from council bosses. They have now accepted a rise of 5%, backdated to April and […]

Huntingdonshire strikes suspended after improved offer

Huntingdonshire District Council workers have suspended strikes scheduled to start next week to consider an improved pay offer, UNISON announced today. Staff had been due to walk out for two weeks after months of pay talks ended with an offer that UNISON said would leave workers struggling to make ends meet. The council had offered […]

Huntingdonshire Council staff to strike over poor pay

Staff at Huntingdonshire District Council are threatening to take a week of strike action later this month as part of an ongoing dispute over pay, says their union UNISON today. Earlier this year, the council gave its employees a pay rise of 4% plus a one-off payment of £1,000. Then last month, council managers made […]

Harlow refuse workers win 10% pay deal after strike threat

Refuse workers in Harlow have called off the threat of strike action after voting today to accept a 10.1% pay rise. The deal means that staff employed by contactor Veolia will also enjoy improved sick pay. It takes drivers’ pay over £15 an hour and loaders up to nearly £13. Veolia had originally offered staff […]

UNISON members pledging to vote for industrial action at Huntingdonshire District Council

Huntingdonshire Council staff vote to strike over pay

Refuse workers, customer service assistants and planning officers at Huntingdonshire District Council have voted to strike over pay, UNISON said today. The Cambridgeshire council has imposed a pay rise of 4% plus a one-off payment of £1,000. As the strike ballot opened last month, bosses made money available for a further one-off lump sum but […]

A large group of Serco workers on the pickets lines

Norfolk refuse strikes off after workers win huge pay deal

Serco workers in North Norfolk and Breckland have accepted a double-digit pay rise, putting an end to the threat of more refuse strikes, UNISON announced today. Refuse, street cleaning, grounds maintenance and cleansing workers approved the two-year deal that includes a 20% rise for the lowest-paid staff. HGV drivers have won a new basic rate […]

People pose with placards opposing job cuts outside Pot Kiln

Sudbury school staff vote to strike against job losses

Redundancy-threatened Suffolk school staff have voted to strike to save their jobs, UNISON reveals today. The teaching assistants and midday supervisors at Pot Kiln Primary School in Sudbury voted 90% in favour of strikes. Pot Kiln wants to cut classroom assistant and midday supervisor numbers after running up a £75,000 deficit. School bosses say student […]

NHS strikes paused after new pay offer

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 […]