New year – same stresses for NHS staff

Health workers have been pushed to the limit by Omicron, but bosses’ solutions won’t work in the long term, warns Tim Roberts

Whatever the challenges of 2022, UNISON will be there for public service workers

A New Year’s blog from regional secretary Tim Roberts

UNISON health members deliver damning verdict on government’s 3% increase

Health workers in England – angry that rising costs have already wiped out their recent pay rise – have voted to oppose the government over the 3% increase, says UNISON today. Publishing the results of a consultation exercise that ran over the summer, UNISON says the overwhelming majority (80%) of health workers are not happy […]

UNISON launches consultation over NHS rise that meets neither expectations nor real living wage

The government has failed to honour its own ‘levelling up’ promises with the disappointing 3% pay rise for NHS workers in England, says UNISON. The award announced last week doesn’t meet the real living wage of £9.50 per hour for the lowest paid health service workers and widens the gap between those at the top […]

NHS heroes snubbed by Suffolk MPs on pay

NHS workers in Suffolk are disappointed and disgusted after MPs ignored their requests to meet over NHS pay, UNISON says today. Health workers wrote to their representatives to discuss their urgent need for a pay rise while the government is dragging its feet. Staff were due a rise on April 1 but ministers have yet […]

People gather round a stall next to a bus supporting a pay rise for NHS staff

On the road for NHS pay

Regional secretary Tim Roberts reports back from UNISON Eastern pay battle bus in his latest blog

NHS pay bus starts tour of Eastern region

An NHS pay bus tour of the East of England gets under way today departing from Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford. NHS workers’ union UNISON has commissioned the open-top bus to visit hospitals across the East of England, visiting Chelmsford and Braintree today (Wednesday), returning to Essex for its final stop in Colchester on 22 July. […]

Sara Gorton and Michael Rosen on a Teams call

Michael Rosen says Thank You to NHS staff

“I now have a chance to say thank you to you, you UNISON workers, you have made your contribution to the fact that I’m actually sitting here talking. Thank you very much indeed.” That was poet and author Michael Rosen’s message to the NHS staff that joined last week’s An Evening With… webinar. The former […]

Michael Rosen talks to health workers about Covid, the NHS and pay

Poet and author Michael Rosen will virtually join health workers from across the east of England tomorrow to talk about his battle with Covid-19 and the NHS staff who saw him through it. The former children’s laureate will be interviewed by UNISON head of health Sara Gorton about his debt of thanks to NHS workers […]

East of England NHS workers appeal for public support on pay

Health workers across the east of England are appealing to the public this week to back their campaign so NHS staff can receive a proper pay rise before the summer, says UNISON today. Over the next few days, hospital porters, clerical workers, cleaners, nurses, healthcare assistants and other NHS staff will be urging people to […]

Create colourful window displays to support NHS staff on pay rise due date

Families and individuals across the east of England are being urged by health unions to create colourful window displays in their homes and workplaces today to show support for NHS staff on the day they should have been getting a pay rise. Artworks designed by children’s illustrators and writers are part of a growing collection […]

Covid inquiry needed to ​learn pandemic lessons and prevent ​future frontline worker ​deaths, says UNISON

There must be a full public inquiry into the government​’s handling of the Covid crisis as soon as the worst of the pandemic is over​, says UNISON today on the anniversary of the first lockdown. ​The union​ – which represents ​1.3m NHS, care and ​other public service workers, including porters, midwives and refuse collectors – […]

We’re not shutting up about pay

Tim Roberts explains why UNISON will keep talking about – and acting on – poor pay in our public services

Recruitment pledges must be backed by decent wage rise if NHS is to thrive

Paying staff properly is a vital part of building the NHS for the future, says UNISON as it calls on the public to protest ​this evening about the government’s “pitiful” wage offer. Plans to recruit more staff are not enough to protect the health system and will only have an effect if experienced staff are […]

Suffolk ambulance staff denied Covid sick pay, says UNISON

Front line patient transport staff in Suffolk are only receiving statutory sick pay of £95 a week when they have to self-isolate. Private ambulance firm Ezec is contracted by the NHS to transport patients around Suffolk, including those discharged from hospitals to care homes. Workers say they are not given enough time between jobs to […]