Politicians must get a grip on social care and council services

Commenting on the Institute for Fiscal Studies report on council funding and tonight’s BBC1 Panorama programme on social care, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:

“After years of relentless cuts, council budgets are stripped to the bone. This is starkly illustrated by the perilous state of social care, not to mention a fall of more than 60% in spending on children’s services and youth centres.

“Delivering a solution that protects services and provides proper care is perhaps the nation’s biggest challenge. But Brexit paralysis at Westminster means it will not be any time soon.

“It’s simply reckless government to expect councils to look after all elderly and vulnerable people on their patch while funding disappears.

“Sadly, it’s often low-paid care workers picking up the pieces. Spending their own money so an elderly person can have tea, working many extra hours to provide the care needed or for a chat with the only face a lonely person will see all week. This is a shocking state of affairs.

“Politicians must get a grip and quickly. That means ministers publishing their long-awaited green paper so we can all at least see they do have a plan, even if they’re incapable of implementing it.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in both the public and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes T: 0207 121 5255 M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Liz Chinchen T: 0207 121 5463 M: 07778 158175 E: l.chinchen@unison.co.uk

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Union welcomes education funding call but expresses concerns

UNISON has welcomed the call for better funded further education contained in today’s report from Philip Augar.

The historian and former City broker was appointed to conduct a review of post-18 education and its funding in England, including apprenticeships, by prime minister Theresa May in February last year.

The report’s recommendations include:

• strengthening vocational and technical education below degree level;
• reforming and refunding the network of further education colleges, including £1bn capital investment;
• increasing participation in post-18 learning across the board, including by adults taking part in lifelong learning and becoming part-time students;
• reintroducing maintenance grants for low-income students, which were scrapped by George Osborne;
• reducing the upper limit on university tuition fees from the current £9,250 a year to £7,500.

“All too often, the focus falls on the university sector to the exclusion of other vital areas,” commented UNISON head of health Jon Richards, “so the proposals to increase further education funding and support for colleges are to be welcomed.”

But while the union welcomes the Augar review’s emphasis on the 50% of young people who do not go into higher education, it has concerns that the current political context, coupled with a government reluctance to invest money, will see ministers ignore the big challenges set out in the report focusing on efforts to reduce costs.

“Lowering fees for HE must be accompanied by further government funding to make up the gap that will hit universities providing costly science and medicine courses,” said Mr Richards.

However, chancellor Philip Hammond has warned that the proposals could lead to a bidding war on government spending, especially with ministers trying to raise their profile in the race to to take over the Conservative Party leadership.

UNISON warns that the report’s call for universities to find efficiency savings over coming years and bear down on what it terms low-value degrees – or “certain courses at certain universities” – should set the alarm bells ringing.

The union is concerned that the report could all too easily become another example of the government looking to do more with less – which will inevitably affect those who work across the sector, including tens of thousands of UNISON members.

“Ultimately the Brexit impasse, which is stalling so many important areas of policy, means this detailed, well-researched review is doomed to sit in a pile with many other reports,” said Mr Richards.

“The points that fit the government’s agenda will be welcomed but everything else will carry on as before.”

UNISON also points out that the reduced fees for students comes with big strings attached.

Although the report recommends an end to in-course interest rates and a cap on lifetime interest payments, it also wants to freeze the threshold at which students start paying back – so more graduates will pay earlier –  and increase the repayment period from 30 to 40 years.

On that, Mr Richards warned that “lengthening the period of loans will also deepen the misery for many students, saddling them with a lifetime of debt and, with no reduction in the punishing interest rates, that financial burden will continue to build.”

Download the full Augar Review report from the government website

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Extra FE spending proposals welcome but report likely to lead to inaction, says UNISON

Commenting on the publication of the Augar Review into the future of post-18 education, UNISON’s head of education Jon Richards said:

“All too often, the focus falls on the university sector to the exclusion of other vital areas, so the proposals to increase further education funding and support for colleges are to be welcomed.

“Lowering fees for HE must be accompanied by further government funding to make up the gap that will hit universities that provide the more expensive science and medicine courses.

“Lengthening the period of loans will also deepen the misery for many students, saddling them with a lifetime of debt, and with no reduction in the punishing interest rates, that financial burden will continue to build.

“Ultimately the Brexit impasse, which is stalling so many important areas of policy, means this detailed, well-researched review is doomed to sit in a pile with many other reports. The points that fit the government’s agenda will be welcomed but everything else will no doubt carry on as before.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in both the public and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes T: 0207 121 5255 M: 07834 864794E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Siobhan Cooley T: 0207 121 5555 E: s.cooley@unison.co.uk

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We’re growing and we’re winning for our members

“We have a positive message to tell about our union as we go into conference,” UNISON’s national executive heard in London this morning.

The last regular meeting of the NEC meeting before June’s national delegate conference, received an update of the union’s Go for Growth recruitment and retention campaign, which still has just under a week to run.

May is traditionally a difficult month for union recruitment, the meeting heard: last year, the union’s membership dropped by around 5,000.

But so far this month, the union has grown by more than 3,700 members – and “as of this morning, every single one of our regions has gone into growth,” reported general secretary Dave Prentis.

She put the swing down to small but effective changes, such as phone calls to every new joiners. And contacting people who started the process of joining the union online, but dropped out without completing the move, saw 30% of them come back and finish signing up to UNISON.

The Go for Growth campaign runs until 3 June – so there’s still time for those numbers to change.

Go for Growth website

Mr Prentis had positive stories to tell in his report to the NEC.

UNISON is proud to be a defender of our public services, which may have been forgotten while attention is focused on the drama of Brexit, said. And the union has chalked up some notable victories.

He pointed to the win by care workers in Birmingham after a year-long dispute over plans to change their shifts and cut their pay.

Read more on the Birmingham victory

It was, said Mr Prentis, “a great victory for care workers, for our members, for our regions and for the national union. It just shows what we are capable of doing as a union when we all work together.

And in Doncaster and Bassetlaw, health workers who had been transferred to private company Sodexo successfully fought for NHS rates won a rapid victory.

Read more on Doncaster and  Bassetlaw

It is a victory that will be followed up across the country as part of a campaign to get everyone who works in the health service on NHS rates of pay, no matter who they work for, the executive heard.

UNISON has been at the forefront of the campaign to reverse the ill-conceived privatisation of the probation service in England and Wales instituted by former justice secretary Chris Grayling … and the government’s decision to bring the service back into public ownership was another victory for the union and its members, Mr Prentis added.

Read more about probation

But while the executive welcomed the positive move, it noted that there is still more that needs to be done to bring the service back to where it was before the 2014 privatisation.

The general secretary also pointed to the win by a group of council workers in Sandwell, where a 100% turn-out and vote for industrial action saw the West Midlands council backtrack on plans to regrade them to lower pay.

Read more about Sandwell

It showed the power of members standing together and it showed the union’s ability to organise successful industrial action ballots, with high turnouts that vastly exceed legal minimums, in local disputes.

The national executive council agreed to send congratulations to members involved in the victories.

It also voted to send solidarity messages to members taking action, or preparing to, in other key strategic disputes, including care workers fighting cuts to the sleep-in pay at Alternative Futures Group across north-west England and hospital domestics – “the first line of defence against infection” – battling privatisation at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex.

As part of its preparation for next month’s national delegate conference in Liverpool, the NEC also:

• finalised its policies on submitted motions, composite motions and amendments;
• agreed to submit an emergency motion on plans to exclude higher and further education staff, along with those in sixth form colleges, from the local government pension scheme;
• received an update on preparations for NDC;
• received an update on the draft order of business;
• endorsed the financial statement to be presented to delegates.

On top of that, the meeting also received a report on the union’s accounts for the first three months of 2019.

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Election results show the country is more divided than ever, says UNISON

Commenting on the European election results, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:

“These results are proof that the ​country is as divided as ever and show the depth of frustration at both main political parties. Politicians in Westminster seem to lack the answers to the biggest issue facing the UK and voters have had enough, regardless of how they voted three years ago.

“In this political vacuum millions have turned to the easy falsehoods of the far right populists. Nigel Farage has convinced many he’s on their side, but the Brexit Party has been silent on the devastation a no-deal Brexit would have on communities across the country.

“This was a disastrous night for the Tories. The party’s worst ever result in a national poll shows it’s lost what little mandate it had to govern. It’s a reflection of the party’s catastrophic handling of Brexit, and of the callous austerity inflicted upon the country. Whoever replaces Theresa May will have no legitimacy as Prime Minister and a general election is vital to clear the deadlock.

“But it was a terrible night for Labour too. If Labour is going to win the next election, it needs to understand that ambiguity and division aren’t appealing. The country needs a radical Labour government, with properly funded public services at its heart – but it won’t get that unless Labour has a clearer line on Brexit.”

Media contact:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk

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UNISON welcomes new law on tenancy fees

UNISON has welcomed moves to protect tenants from unfair and unnecessary fees from private landlords and letting agents contained in the Tenancy Fees Act which comes into force in England on 1 June.

The union says the act “will make a huge difference to our members who privately rent in England” by reducing upfront costs.

The new legislation bans unfair lettings fees for administration, reference checks and tenancy renewal fees, which create huge affordability problems for private tenants.

It also sets out penalties that will be levied on landlords if they breach the law. Private tenants can also recover any unlawfully charged fees.

It  follows the lead of the Scottish government, which has already banned lettings fees. The Welsh Assembly is legislating its own ban.

The new rules mean that private tenants will no longer have to pay upfront fees in addition to their rent and refundable deposits when they sign a new. However, landlords will still be able to charge certain fees, which are reasonable and where they provide evidence, such as:

• when changing or ending a tenancy is requested by a tenant;
• charges related to council tax, utilities or communications, where they are not included in the rent,
• fees for late payment of rent;
• fees for replacing lost keys.

More and more UNISON members rent their homes privately, dealing with insecure tenancies and high rents.

“As a result they face uncertainty and struggle to pay the rent each month as well as other living costs,” says UNISON assistant policy officer Sylvia Jones.

“The reform of lettings fees in England is a victory for our members, as it will lead to reduced costs and make private renting more affordable for private tenants.”

But more needs to be done to improve affordability and security and “UNISON will continue to call on the government to overhaul the private housing system to give tenants greater security, stability and protection from frequent rent increases,” she added.

UNISON briefing on the new law and how UNISON members can publicise the new rights

Detailed government guide to the act

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It’s clear from these election results is that the country is hopelessly divided

The next few days will see us saturated in ‘spin’, but we have to focus on what really happened. What is patently clear from the European election results is that the country is hopelessly divided. This result was a cry of frustration at a political class that seems to lack the answers to the biggest issue facing the UK.

Millions of people have turned to the easy falsehoods of the far right populists. Nigel Farage – a wealthy, privately educated former trader – has convinced many people he’s on their side, when the reality is he peddles the same old snake oil. The failure of Tommy Robinson to get elected in the North West was good news, but it shouldn’t blind us to the fact that Farage’s shallow nationalism is picking up votes everywhere.

It’s clear that however people voted in 2016, the majority are deeply frustrated with the two main parties, and understandably so. Whether we like it or not, Brexit is what the majority were voting on this week – yet both Labour and the Tories campaigned as if the UK’s relationship with the EU wasn’t on the ballot paper.

This was a disastrous night for the Tories. Achieving their worst ever result in a national poll shows they’ve lost what little mandate they have to govern. This result is a reflection not just of their catastrophic handling of Brexit, but of the callous and unfeeling decade of austerity they have inflicted upon our country. Whoever replaces Theresa May has no legitimacy as Prime Minister – and we need a general election to clear the deadlock.

However, it’s also clear this was a disastrous night for Labour. If Labour is going to win the next election, which may be only a few months away, we need to engage in the serious listening and reflection that Jeremy Corbyn has talked about this morning. Ambiguity and division aren’t appealing – but that’s what the public have got from Labour over Brexit. That needs to stop today. All of us in the party owe it to those who need a radical Labour government, with properly funded public services at its heart.

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Blog: Theresa May is going – yet working people should fear what comes next

Today Theresa May confirmed what we already knew – her time as Prime Minister is over.

Three years ago she came to power, promising to help those who were “just about managing”. Her time in government has been an abject failure on that score. She has done nothing to repair our broken public services and has seemed satisfied to oversee further decline in public sector funding, pay and jobs. She will not be missed by those who work in public services or those who rely on them.

Meanwhile, her appalling handling of the Grenfell Tower disaster, her kowtowing to the dangerous far-right Presidency of Donald Trump, her poisonous “hostile environment” and its impact on the Windrush Generation, and of course her abject failure to resolve the Brexit crisis, will be how she is remembered.

It is not a legacy anyone would want, yet it is exactly the legacy she deserves.

Normally the departure of a Prime Minister who looks set to go down in history as a failure would be a moment for cheer. Yet working people should fear what comes next. The next Prime Minister will be chosen by the hard right of the Tory Party, who want more austerity, increased privatisation and fewer rights for working people. The spectre of a government led by Boris Johnson, Michael Gove or Dominic Raab looms large on the political horizon. There is a real chance that things may get significantly worse before they get any better.

That’s why, at this time of severe national crisis, there must be a general election. The Prime Minister who takes over from Theresa May should be chosen by the people in every one of the UK’s communities, not just by the Brexiteer boys’ club in the tea rooms and bars of Westminster.

If that election is not forthcoming, the Tories will have no mandate for the inevitable social and economic calamity.

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Working people should fear what comes next

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s announcement today (Friday) that she is to step down on 7 June, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:

“Theresa May will go down in history as one of the worst prime ministers.

“She has done nothing to repair our broken public services, forgotten all about families struggling to get by, brutally mistreated the Windrush generation and woefully mismanaged the aftermath of the Brexit vote.

“However, working people should fear what comes next. Her replacement will be chosen by the hard right of the Tory Party, who want more austerity, increased privatisation and fewer rights for working people.

“That’s why there must now be a general election. The decision about who leads the country must be taken in every community, not by the Brexiteer boys’ club in the tea rooms and bars of Westminster.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in both the public and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen T: 0207 121 5463 M: 07778 158175 E: l.chinchen@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes T: 0207 121 5255 M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

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British Steel collapse will devastate affected communities

Commenting on the news that British Steel has been placed in compulsory  liquidation today (Wednesday) UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:

“The collapse of British Steel and the threat of thousands of job losses is devastating news.

“It’s not just those working for British Steel who will be affected, public services workers need a buoyant manufacturing sector to fund the NHS, schools and local councils.

“UNISON stands with our sister unions fighting for their members’ jobs and with those communities that may be damaged by this business failure.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in both the public and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes T: 0207 121 5255 M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Garfield Myrie T: 0207 121 5546 M: 07432 741 565 E: g.myrie@unison.co.uk

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Bradford hospital workers balloted over strike action to fight ‘backdoor privatisation’

Staff at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will vote on whether to take industrial action after the announcement of the privatisation of some of its services.

The UNISON ballot opens today (Monday) and comes after the Trust said hospital staff, including porters and domestic assistants, will be outsourced to a separate company to cut costs by exploiting a tax loophole. The transfer will strip them of the protections they have as NHS employees and is a form of backdoor privatisation, says UNISON.

Although the new company will be owned by the Trust, UNISON believes outsourcing to subsidiary companies will have negative consequences for healthcare staff and potentially damaging ramifications for the NHS in England.

Trusts were ordered to pause all plans to set up private companies in September 2018 after action was taken by UNISON. New scrutiny and approval processes were put in place in December 2018, which included assurances that companies could only be set up where there was broad support.

UNISON is concerned the scrutiny process lacks substance, as NHS Improvement has allowed the Bradford Trust to push ahead with its plans despite the overwhelming opposition of workers.

Promises from the Trust that existing staff terms and conditions will be protected are simply not enough, says UNISON.

UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “The staff who work for the NHS care about their jobs and it matters to them that they work for the health service. We all benefit from an NHS where everyone involved in delivering our care is part of the same team.

“Tax savings are not a good enough reason for the Trust to force people out of the NHS family and give up their cherished status as health service staff. Future leaders of the Trust will not feel bound by any guarantee over terms and conditions, so staff are right to feel wary of accepting anything other than a firm promise to keep them in direct employment.”

Notes to editors:
– Wholly owned subsidiaries – or subcos – are private companies established by NHS trusts. They are not liable for VAT payments in the same way as NHS trusts. This has led to accusations that trusts are using them to avoid paying VAT.

– In July 2018, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Foundation Trust reversed plans to transfer 900 workers to NHS subsidiary firm WWL Solutions. This followed a long-running campaign and dispute led by UNISON.

– A planned three-day strike at the mid-Yorkshire NHS Hospitals Trust led the Trust to abandon plans to transfer cleaners, catering, IT and maintenance staff to a subco.

– Threat of action by UNISON led to Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust scrapping plans to transfer around 600 staff to private firm Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys Estates FM Ltd.

– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in both the public and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Tony Pearson T: 0113 218 2305 M:  07801 578 385 E: t.pearson@unison.co.uk
Garfield Myrie T: 0207 121 5546 M: 07432 741 565 E: g.myrie@unison.co.uk

 

 

 

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Probation given some vital medicine – but it’s not cured yet

UNISON has given a limited welcome to the government’s announcement that all offender management work currently carried out by private companies will return to the public sector when  contracts come to an end in the spring of 2021.

The community rehabilitation company (CRC) contracts were due to come to an end in December 2020, but have now been extended to allow for the government’s plans for probation to be put in place.

But unpaid work, accredited programmes and other rehabilitative interventions and resettlement services, currently provided by the CRCs, will not transfer back to the NPS. They will be offered to the private and voluntary sector in a new bidding process.

This is the same model of delivery which has already been proposed for Wales and which is already being put into place in that country.

UNISON’s national officer for probation Ben Priestly commented: “The government’s announcement is an admission at last that Chris Grayling’s botched TR reforms have failed.

“No one in the world of probation believed that the Transforming Rehabilitation reforms would ever work, and so it proved right from the start.

“It is shameful that it took four and half years of pain, aggravation and heartbreak before Ministers acted. Probation has been broken and it will take a long time, and a lot of money, to fix.”

UNISON’s believes that last week’s announcement that medium and low risk offender management will return to public control is a step in the right direction but there are still serious problems in the service.

Firstly, unpaid work, programmes and interventions are to stay out in the private and voluntary sector. Many CRCs have struggled to provide these services and there is little evidence that a market exists to deliver them.

UNISON wants all this work to come into the National Probation Service (NPS). Probation needs to be re-unified; it cannot work if the split in delivery carries on into the future. We will campaign for full re-unification.

But UNISON also believes that the NPS needs to improve considerably if it is to succeed in taking on all offender management work from the CRCs.

Problems at the NPS

Working for the NPS has not always been a happy experience for many staff and Probation has been the poor relation to the Prison Service inside HMPPS. In particular the NPS has:

• forced a one-size fits all probation model across England and Wales
• downgraded key occupations such as victim liaison officers, residential workers, business managers, enforcement officers etc
• suffered from on-going big staff shortages in key operational areas
• 1,000 agency staff to deliver work it cannot recruit into
• privatised night waking cover in approved premises with disastrous consequences
• put prison governors in charge of probation officers in prison
• not been able to pay staff properly since it was created as a result of its privatised payroll provider getting things wrong on an on-going basis

UNISON’s Let’s Fix Probation campaign argues that all probation work should be brought back under public ownership, not as part of the NPS, but via the re-creation of Local Probation Services under local democratic control and local management.

UNISON’s national officer for probation Ben Priestly added: “We will continue to make this case. Probation can only function properly as a unified and local service, delivered and managed in the public sector, free from the interference of the MOJ, or HMPPS.

“For our members, dedicated and hard working staff, last week’s announcement means even more change on top of what have been the most difficult years in Probation history.

“More than anything UNISON hopes that the government has learnt that there is a real human cost to their experimenting.  Listening to practitioners and service users will be more important than ever as we move to the next set of reforms.”

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FE pay ballot results

UNISON members working in 14 Further Education colleges in England have voted in a disaggregated ballot for a pay rise.

Although members voted in favour of strike action in 9 of these colleges, turnout was not enough to meet the threshold for strikes set out in the 2017 Trade Union Act.

UNISON’s further education and sixth form committee considered the result and stated: “We would like to thank those activists, branches and regions that put in significant work to achieve the result.

“Unfortunately and frustratingly the government’s anti-democratic trade union laws, which impose a very high turnout threshold, mean that we are not able to fulfil our members’ wishes.”

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More hospital staff in Liverpool set to take action over unfair pay

Staff employed by the multinational outsourcing company ISS at Liverpool Royal and Broad Green hospitals are planning to take strike action from Thursday 30 May.

The staff work as catering, cleaning and portering staff and most are paid only the minimum wage rate of £8.21 an hour. The lowest rate for NHS staff is £9.03 an hour and the difference of 82p an hour is worth some £1,600 a year for full-time staff.

UNISON members will be among the estimated 500 union members taking strike action later this month. In a strike ballot, 98% of UNISON members voted in favour of taking strike action. If necessary, further strikes and overtime bans will take place throughout June.

UNISON North West regional organiser Maria Moss said: “There is a real injustice here.  All hospital workers should be paid the NHS rate for the job, but at the Royal and Broad Green, ISS choose to pay staff only the minimum wage. This makes a huge difference to low-paid workers in our city who are doing essential jobs in our hospitals.

“Staff feel very strongly that this is unfair and that the situation needs to change. In similar circumstances, UNISON members at the Women’s hospital successfully won the NHS rates of pay after taking strike action.

“At the Walton Centre, ISS workers are now paid the NHS rates after UNISON members voted overwhelmingly to take action. Our members at the Royal and at Broad Green are just as determined to win the a fair rate of pay for their job.

“We are looking now to ISS and the Trust to sort this matter out.”

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Blog: These victories show that this is a union on the march

Recent days have brought two significant victories for UNISON members. Two long fights – vitally important for the future of public services – have been won by our union.

Birmingham Care Workers have seen plans that put their jobs and wages at risk axed.

And the government have announced that probation services are being brought back in house.

Fighting attacks on low-paid workers and ending the scourge of privatisation are core to our union’s aims and values. That’s why these victories – like recent successes from Sodexo to Sandwell – make me so proud of our union, our members and what we can achieve together.

The Birmingham Care workers dispute is one I’ve been involved with for a long time. Like many within our union, I’ve stood with these women and heard their stories. For over a year they’ve fought against plans which put their jobs at risk and threatened massive pay cuts which these low-paid workers could ill-afford. It’s been an incredibly difficult time for them. They’ve repeatedly taken strike action, not because they wanted to, but because they knew they had to.

And in probation, Chris Grayling’s botched privatisation has caused untold anguish to staff and cost the taxpayer millions – at a time when cuts to services and wages are forcing growing numbers to rely on food banks. Grayling’s ideologically driven failures show he can’t be trusted with the levers of government. I’m proud that UNISON’s voice has been heard and his dreadful errors are being reversed.

Most of all, I hope these victories, and others like them, show UNISON members – and employers – that our union is on the march.

UNISON is a fighting, campaigning union – and where we work together, fight together, support each other and campaign together, there is no stopping us.

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Birmingham care workers celebrate momentous victory

UNISON members are celebrating today (Wednesday) after claiming victory in a dispute with Birmingham City Council over plans to make ‘indefensible’ cuts to the hours of low paid care staff.

The union has been at loggerheads with the local authority since July 2017 when councillors announced plans to make around £2 million of savings by slashing the hours of care staff working for its enablement service.

Over 200 low-paid care workers, 96% of whom are women, would have lost up to £11,000 a year as a result of the cuts, says UNISON.

It has taken 82 days of strike action, over an almost two-year period, for the council to finally reverse its damaging plans. This is believed to be the longest dispute in West Midlands history.

Birmingham City Council is expected to formally agree to drop the proposals at a cabinet meeting on 22 May.

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “If the council really is withdrawing these proposals, then it’s a vindication for these incredible care workers.

“For well over a year they’ve fought against plans which put their jobs at risk and threatened massive pay cuts these low-paid workers could ill-afford.

“It’s been an incredibly difficult time for them. They’ve repeatedly taken strike action, not because they wanted to, but because they knew they had to.

“From the outset our whole union has stood with these care workers because their fight matters to all of us – as it matters to the communities these care workers serve.

“UNISON members have earned their right to celebrate a momentous victory. And they can hold their heads up high. I am proud they are part of our union.”

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes T: 0207 121 5255 M: 07834 864794             E:a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Ravi Subramanian, UNISON West Midlands regional secretary         T: 0121 685 3171 M: 0790 434 3342 5 E: r.subramanian@unison.co.uk

Notes to editors:
– Under the council’s plans, some care staff would have seen their hours cut from 37 to just 14 a week. UNISON said the changes would potentially take workers below the poverty line, or leave them with no choice but to look elsewhere for work. This would have put untold pressure on the service if care staff voted with their feet and left.
– Homecare workers balloted to strike with 99% voting in favour.
– Birmingham’s enablement service helps the elderly and adults who have been in hospital or are recovering from an illness or injury to relearn skills such as washing, dressing and cooking.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in both the public and private sectors.

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Probation return to public control is welcome but must be administered locally, says UNISON

Commenting on the decision to return medium and low-risk probation cases to public control, UNISON national officer for probation Ben Priestley said:

“Returning probation work to public ownership is a long-overdue step in the right direction. But UNISON, along with the Labour Group of Police and Crime Commissioners, is convinced probation services are best delivered locally, rather than from the one-size-fits-all centralised model which is the National Probation Service.

“The sooner probation is put back into local control to restore the confidence of staff, service users and the public, the better. The ruin caused by Chris Grayling’s botched reforms shows the service is just not safe in the hands of the Ministry of Justice.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in both the public and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes T: 0207 121 5255 M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Garfield Myrie T: 0207 121 5546 M: 07432 741 565 E: g.myrie@unison.co.uk

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Supreme Court ruling will add to child poverty, says UNISON

Commenting on a ruling from the Supreme Court today (Wednesday) that the government’s benefits cap for lone parents will stand, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:

“The effect of today’s decision will be to add to child poverty.

“It will simply drive many lone parents into the worst private sector housing as the benefit cap makes them struggle to keep a roof over their children’s heads.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in both the public and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes T: 0207 121 5255 M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Garfield Myrie T: 0207 121 5546 M: 07432 741 565                         E: g.myrie@unison.co.uk

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Vote in the European elections on 23 May

Elections for the European Parliament are taking place across the UK on 23 May and the vote of every UNISON will be vital to the outcome.

Few expected that these elections would happen. Under the government’s original timetable, the UK would have left the EU at the end of March.

That we haven’t left is a consequence of both the failure of Theresa May’s government and the lies that were told during the referendum campaign about how easy it would be to negotiate the UK’s withdrawal.

Whilst we are still in the European Union it is important that we choose representatives whose views and values are closest to our own.

These elections are being seen by extremists as an opportunity to increase their support. They will make gains unless those who oppose them turn out to vote. Voting on 23 May is also a chance to vote against austerity.

UNISON general secretary David Prentis commented: “With the far right seeking to exploit these elections, it’s vitally important that all UNISON members vote on 23 May.

“Vote for candidates who will stand up for public services and defend our welfare state. The future of our NHS is at stake.”

Download UNISON’s European elections leaflet.

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Blog: This is a fight that I know we can and will win

It was great to be in Liverpool today, to stand shoulder to shoulder with striking care workers from Alternative Futures Group. Across the North West, these workers are striking against cuts to their pay – which is already far lower than they deserve.

It’s clear from speaking to them today and previously that the AFG strikers have received incredible support from their communities and from across our union and our movement. That support was out in force today, as each speaker and everyone attending the rally spoke with one voice against this injustice.

MPs Laura Smith and Alison McGovern continued to give their steadfast support – as I know they have in Parliament and in their constituencies. Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson reminded us once again that Labour councils don’t want to see these vicious and unnecessary attacks on low-paid workers. Paula Barker, our regional convenor, spoke passionately on behalf of all UNISON members in the North West. And Mark, himself a striking care worker, wove poetry and conviction together to show the real steel that’s at the heart of this dispute.

The fight against pay cuts at AFG is vital for our union. It’s about dignity and respect – vital in care but all too often denied to those who deliver it. It’s about showing, once again, that employers who pick on low-paid workers underestimate their collective strength. And it’s about showing that our union will never accept attacks on “sleep in” pay – sleep ins are work, and these workers deserve proper pay for the hard and often difficult work they do.

This is a fight that I know we can and will win. These workers are united and their strike action is strong. Now it’s up to AFG to pay them what they’re owed.

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Cleaners vote overwhelmingly for strike action to halt privatisation at the Princess Alexandra

Cleaners at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow have today (Friday) voted almost unanimously in favour of strike action against plans to outsource cleaning services.

UNISON members voted 99% in favour of industrial action on an 84% turnout.

The 220 staff that provide cleaning and domestic services warn that if jobs are transferred to the private sector it could spell disaster for patients. Research has shown that hospitals with outsourced cleaning have higher rates of infection than those with in-house services.

The cleaners warn that pay and conditions will fall below NHS colleagues if services are outsourced, as a private company would not be part of any future NHS pay awards. And new starters could also face worse employment terms, with a private contractor having no obligation to pay more than the legal minimum.

UNISON has recently won NHS pay rates for health workers employed by private companies in Doncaster, Liverpool, and Bolton. However, it is far better for staff and for patients if services aren’t outsourced in the first place, says UNISON.

Employees will now discuss their next steps, including possible strike dates. UNISON has urged the Princess Alexandra Hospital to abandon its privatisation plans to avoid industrial action.

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “All too often the reality of outsourcing is lower pay, a longer working day and reduced job security after a private firm takes over. Service users rarely see any benefit, it’s company bosses and shareholders who are the big winners.

“Keeping sick people safe from infection is life-saving work and the cleaners at Princess Alexandra Hospital are passionate about their jobs – which is why it’s so vital that standards are maintained.

“Strike action is always a last resort and we are hopeful it can still be avoided. But for that to happen, the hospital must call a halt to its damaging privatisation plans and work with us to find a better way forward.”

Claire Evans, a Princess Alexandra Hospital cleaner said: “This vote is a clear message to our bosses that we don’t want to work for an outside contractor — we are proud to work for the NHS and serve our communities.

“We don’t just clean the wards, we bring patients their teas, we make sure they get their dinners, we chat to them. We make sure they feel as safe and comfortable as possible while they’re in the hospital because we care about them.

“Taking strike action is not an easy decision for any of us but we need to stand up for our jobs and our patients”.

Media contacts:
James Rodie T: 01245 608907 M: 07904 415895 E: j.rodie@unison.co.uk
Kieran Pearson T: 0207 121 5555 M: 07432 741595 E: k.pearson@unison.co.uk

Notes to editors
– Princess Alexandra Hospital currently has some of the lowest rates of infection in the country, including instances of MRSA.
– UNISON is campaigning across the country to ensure outsourced health workers don’t lose out when it comes to their pay, terms and conditions. Recent notable successes with winning NHS rates include: catering workers employed by Sodexo at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospital; 50 cleaners, porters, catering and security staff employed by OCS at Liverpool Women’s Hospital; over 330 staff at iFM Bolton, a wholly owned subsidiary.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in both the public and private sectors.

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Love your library? Tell us about it

UNISON is carrying out important research into the impact that the use of volunteers is having on our public library service, and is asking all members working in a public library to complete a short survey.

We need as many UNISON members as possible who work in a public library to fill out the survey, so that our findings reflect what’s really happening in the service.

All responses will be confidential and anonymous. The survey should take between 10-15 minutes to complete. None of the questions are compulsory, but the more people who answer the full survey, the more powerful the findings.

We know our members in libraries are on the front line of council cuts. We know you face a barrage of closures, cuts, automation and more. The numbers of volunteers used in libraries is skyrocketing. We need to stand strong against these cuts and we need your help to do that.

Our findings will be used to help us to defend and improve our libraries and stand up for everyone working in them.

As well as the survey, the research also includes freedom of information requests to councils and interviews with volunteers – all of which will provide important information that is not available anywhere else.

The survey closes on Monday 20 May – don’t miss out on your chance to have your say. If you have any queries about the survey, please contact libraries@unison.co.uk.

Take our survey now

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Time to nominate your health hero

Our Health Heroes, the national healthcare awards that celebrate individuals, teams and organisations in the healthcare and care sectors, are back for the fourth year and nominations are now open.

The awards will be delivered by Skills for Health, with support from headline sponsor Health Education England and award category sponsors, NHS Employers and UNISON.

Nominations in eight categories, recognising the contribution of support workers and other healthcare professionals from the sector across the UK, including those working in the NHS, are being sought from healthcare professionals and members of the public via the dedicated Our Health Heroes.

Last year, UNISON members were the overall UK winners in two of the categories.

Speaking at the UNISON health conference in April, Adam Causon, the executive director of Skills for Health, said: “As patients, we remember the doctor who operated on us or the nurse who cared for us, but how many of us thank the healthcare assistants who were there to support us, the cleaner who kept the ward clean and safe or the porter that kept our spirits up as they moved us round the hospital?

“Behind the scenes, there are thousands of people who work tirelessly to keep the system running smoothly, day after day. Without these people, the NHS couldn’t survive. These are the unsung heroes of the UK’s healthcare sector.

“Our Health Heroes rewards teams and individuals who go above and beyond the call of duty to deliver outstanding care and support to patients and colleagues. If that sounds like someone you know, please make a nomination.”

Healthcare staff from across the UK can be nominated by line managers, colleagues, union branches or members of the public, using a simple form.

The deadline for nominations is midnight on Saturday 29 June, with the awards announced at a ceremony in London in November – so get nominating!

To find out more and to make a nomination, visit the Skills for Health website.

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UNISON recommends higher education staff reject ‘inadequate’ pay offer

A pay offer to higher education staff falls far short of the annual rise they deserve as university bosses have seen their salaries soar, says UNISON.

The union’s higher education executive has now agreed unanimously to recommend the “inadequate” 2019/20 pay offer from UCEA higher education national employers should be rejected.

UNISON will now undertake a consultation to ask members what they are prepared to do in order to achieve improvements to the offer, which is way below the claim jointly submitted by unions.

The decision was taken following the results of UNISON’s largest ever survey of staff in higher education. The survey showed that in the past year:

– Three quarters (75%) of staff said pay has not kept pace with increases to their utility bills and council tax
– Half (50%) said their pay has not kept up with housing cost increases
– Almost half (48%) had seen staff reductions in their team
– Two thirds (67%) said their workload has increased in the past year
– Three fifths (61%) don’t feel valued in their job
– Over two thirds (70%) were concerned or very concerned about losing their job

UNISON head of education Jon Richards said: “Staff in our world-class universities deserve a decent pay rise. Year after year they have suffered the appalling double blow of lower-than-inflation wage rises and increased workloads.

“Universities are asking hard-working staff to accept sliding living standards at the same time as many vice chancellors see record growth in their own pay packets.

“UNISON is recommending that this inadequate offer is rejected. UCEA needs to get real and come back to us with a serious proposal.”

Notes to editors:
– More information about the 2019/20 joint union pay claim can be found here.
– This was UNISON’s largest ever survey of HE members with over 3,000 responses.
– UNISON’s HE executive noted that the employers’ offer:
 Did not provide at least an RPI inflation rise for most staff.
 Did not achieve the foundation living wage for lowest paid staff that work a 36 or 37 hour week.
 Did nothing to address disparities between the numbers of hours which constitutes ‘full time’ at different institutions. UCEA calculations are based on a 35 hour week, but UNISON research shows that almost two thirds of universities have a longer ‘standard’ working week.
 Did not do enough to close the gender and ethnic pay gaps in universities.
– UCEA is the University Council for Educational Administration and represents the employers’ side in pay negotiations.
– More information on the 2019/20 UCEA offer can be found here.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in both the public and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes T: 0207 121 5255 M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Kieran Pearson T: 0207 121 5555 M: 07432 741595 E: k.pearson@unison.co.uk

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Drastic action needed to stop nurse and midwife exodus, says UNISON

Commenting on new figures from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) published today (Wednesday) on the numbers of nurses and midwives leaving or joining its register, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:

“The referendum result has made many EU nationals feel unwelcome. It’s no surprise nurses and midwives think they’ll be better off elsewhere. Not enough has been done to reassure European workers that they’ll have rights, jobs and a future after Brexit.

“The small rise in the number of home-grown nurses is heading in the right direction, but it’s a drop in the ocean compared to what’s needed.

“Without proper funding and bold new ideas, experienced professionals from within the UK and across Europe will continue to leave, putting further pressure on the struggling health service.

“The government should be investing in large-scale apprenticeship programmes to train up existing NHS staff who can’t afford hefty study fees. People who know the NHS already would make great nurses and are more likely to stick around.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in both the public and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes T: 0207 121 5255 M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Siobhan Cooley T: 0207 121 5555 M: 07903 870786 E: s.cooley@unison.co.uk

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Bangor University staff celebrate victory in pensions dispute

Support staff at Bangor University have declared victory after a UNISON-organised campaign convinced management to rethink plans to downgrade the workers’ pensions.

A Hands off our Pensions rally was scheduled to be held at noon today, as the university’s executive committee was meeting to decide whether to go ahead with cuts to pension benefits of up to 12% for clerical workers, IT and lab staff, cleaners, caterers, security staff and other low-paid staff.

There were no plans to reduce the pensions of Bangor’s higher-paid staff, including lecturers and executive managers.

The staff trade unions had provided the university with a viable alternative, allowing it to save costs while protecting members’ pensions, but pension trustees had ruled this out.

And having responded to a management call for feedback on the proposals, members were planning to show how “incensed” they were at the rally.

This morning, however, the management issued a statement.

“Following careful consideration of the feedback received on proposals to change the university’s local pension scheme (BUPAS), the executive has today decided that the scheme will remain unchanged.

“The university listened carefully to the responses provided by staff and is grateful to everyone who engaged constructively with the consultation process.”

Responding to the announcement, UNISON Cymru/Wales regional organiser Wendy Allison described it as “a tremendous victory.

“We’ve tapped into a strong sense of injustice amongst support staff who have come out in droves to respond to the university consultation that the changes are unjust and unfair. We are glad Bangor has seen sense and dropped the proposals.

“We hope this sends an important message to the institution that support staff should not be treated as second-class employees and UNISON looks forward to a positive working relationship with Bangor University.”

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Sandwell Council staff celebrate victory in grading dispute

UNISON members at Sandwell Council have claimed victory after securing a substantial wage rise following a dispute over job grading.

The 20 customer service assistants, together with 14 colleagues in Unite, were due to begin industrial action next week in a row over a job evaluation process that failed to take into account the work the staff undertook.

But the industrial action was called off on 1 May, after members accepted a new offer from the council.

The workers have now been re-graded, as of 1 May, meaning that those earning between £19,000 to £20,000 a year will eventually see their pay increase by £4,000 per annum, with two days additional leave.

All the involved members of both UNISON and Unite, working across Sandwell’s local neighbourhood offices, had voted to begin a work to rule from 10 May, which would have seen them refuse to take calls or pass along information and handle inquiries such as evictions.

Tony Barnsley, branch secretary of Sandwell General UNISON branch, said that the staff’s 100% vote for action meant the branch could negotiate from a very strong position. “We congratulate our members for their unified show of strength.”

In a joint statement, UNISON regional officer Tracy Wood and Brian Rickers from Unite said: “The offer of better pay from 1 May 2019 means that there will no longer be any need for the planned industrial action. We welcome the decision of Sandwell Council to bring this matter to a conclusion.”

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Pay rise victory for privatised NHS workers

Catering workers at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have won their pay battle after two days of strike action, says UNISON.

Their employer Sodexo had previously refused to give its workers the same pay rise as the one agreed last year for health staff directly employed by the NHS.

But after two days of industrial action, which began on Wednesday and had been due to continue throughout this month, Sodexo has reached an agreement to pay the NHS pay deal in full.

Around 70 staff, predominantly women, were transferred from the trust to the private company in January 2017, a move which cost workers around £1,000 a year as their pay lagged behind.

UNISON regional organiser Sue Cookman said: “We need to agree some finer details with Sodexo, but I am delighted that an agreement has been reached.

“This is down to the sheer determination of these workers and shows what can be achieved when they stand together to fight for what they are owed.

“The energy and enthusiasm on the picket lines at Montagu and Bassetlaw hospitals, and Doncaster Royal Infirmary has been amazing, and the support from the public has been heartwarming.

“These are NHS workers through and through, and their commitment to the NHS is unwavering, no matter who employs them.

“The government needs to properly fund the NHS pay deal for all health service workers, including those who have been outsourced.”

Notes to editors
– The agreement was a coordinated effort by UNISON and GMB.
– The dispute in Doncaster follows a number of successful strikes organised by UNISON involving cleaners, catering staff, porters and security guards employed by contractor OCS at Liverpool Women’s Hospital. They won their campaign to receive the NHS Agenda For Change rate for the job earlier this month.

Media contact
Sue Cookman M: 07944 119645 E: s.cookman@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes T: 020 7121 5255 M: 07834 864794 E: press@unison.co.uk

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AFG workers set to begin seven-day strike

Over 650 UNISON members employed by the Alternative Futures Group (AFG) begin seven days of strike action on Tuesday over cuts to their income.

AFG has cut back care support workers’ pay for sleep-in shifts. This will cost some staff as much as £2,000 per year. The care support workers are only paid at the level of the minimum wage for their regular hours and many are now struggling to stay in the care sector due to not being paid adequately at night.

UNISON has offered to meet with AFG for negotiations aimed at averting the strike, but the company has rejected this.

Staff have received great support, with a public petition amassing more than 13,000 signatures.

UNISON North West regional convenor Paula Barker said: “AFG staff and council commissioners are furious that AFG senior managers have refused to negotiate to resolve the dispute.

“AFG’s pay cuts are jeopardising the future provision of care services for vulnerable people, as experienced and skilled care staff are being driven out of the sector.

“AFG’s senior management have been entrusted with providing a very important public service, but their actions are both unjust and reckless.

“AFG need to get back round the table and enter into serious talks to get this matter resolved.”

Merseyside care support worker Emma said: “It is a struggle to get by on the minimum wage and we can’t afford a cut to my income. I love working with the service users, but I’m having to consider leaving because we can’t pay the bills.

“We want AFG to listen and to pay us fairly for sleep-ins. We need this matter to be sorted out now.”

A public rally will take place on Friday 10 May at 12noon at St George’s Hall steps in Liverpool. It will be addressed by UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis, striking care workers, local MPs and Ms Barker.

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Probation privatisation has been a shambles and must end now, says UNISON

Commenting on the Public Accounts Committee’s report into probation service reforms published today (Friday), UNISON’s national officer Ben Priestley said:

“The justice department was repeatedly warned that privatisation would be disastrous, putting public safety at risk, and this report bears that out.

“Not only has it predictably failed, but tackling the mess will waste almost half a billion pounds.

“This shambles must end now by returning probation to public control to keep communities safe and prevent any further disasters. It’s time for Chris Grayling to face his own justice as the architect of this fiasco.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, the probation service and energy. They are employed in both the public and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes T: 0207 121 5255 M: 07834 864794E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Liz Chinchen T: 0207 121 5463 M: 07778 158175 E: l.chinchen@unison.co.uk

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Blog: UNISON will always stand up to those who seek to privatise our NHS

On Tuesday I was in Harlow to meet UNISON members at the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) fighting to stay in our NHS. These women, domestics providing the first line of defence against infection in the hospital, are threatened with outsourcing. As a result, their jobs, their wages, their terms and conditions are all at risk.

Across the country, UNISON has fought and won for NHS workers employed by private contractors. But we know that all too often these vital workers don’t get the same deal that those directly employed by the NHS receive – despite often doing the same work in the same hospitals.

Right now, domestics at PAH are balloting on strike action. They don’t want to take industrial action – going on strike is always a last resort, especially for low-paid workers – but as their employer refuses to give them the assurances they need about their future, they’re more than willing to stand up for themselves.

All too often when groups like these brave domestics come under attack, it’s because their employer assumes that they’re weak or divided – that they can be picked off without a fight. But with the PAH domestics, as we’ve seen time and time again in our union, they’re wrong. This is an incredibly strong, incredibly united group of workers fighting for their jobs, their wages, their families, their hospital and their patients.

These vital NHS workers are passionate about their work and our health service. As the hospital are only too proud to advertise, this is one of the top performing trusts in the country for low rates of infection and MRSA – that’s an achievement built upon the hard work and dedication of the very domestics whose jobs are now at risk.

UNISON will always stand up to those who seek to privatise our NHS – or any public service. The ideological push to dismantle the health service and put it into the hands of those who care more about profit than decent care will always be resisted. Right now, the incredible domestics of PAH are on the frontline of that fight. And our whole union stands with them.

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HE employers make final pay offer

Higher education employers made a final offer in response to the  join unions’ pay claim at the final negotiating meeting yesterday.

UNISON will consider its response and how to consult branches when the higher education service group meets on 7 May.

The new offer is for a pay rise of between 3.65% and 1.82% for staff on pay spine points 3 to 16 (£22,017 a year), and 1.8% for those on points 17 and above. The offer also includes deleting the lowest pay band – point 2. This will mean that the lowest rate of pay will be £9.17 per hour for those on a 35-hour week. The current living wage rate, set by the Living Wage Foundation, is £9 per hour.

However, the joint unions made it clear that while the offer is an improvement on the employers’ previous one, they are disappointed that it falls far below the unions’ claim.

Previous story: University employers improve offer at latest pay talks (12 April 2019)

Download the employers’ pay offer

Download the joint union pay claim

 

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Blog: For UNISON, the local elections are massive. Don’t forget to vote

With all of the focus on Brexit, it’s easy to forget that there are vitally important elections taking place this week.

Across the country, thousands of local councillors are up for election, and for UNISON, these elections are massive.

For those working in local services, these elections decide who runs the local councils who employ them or manage their services. A change in council leadership can mean the difference between jobs maintained or lost. It can mean greater support for a service – or its abolition. It can make the difference between privatisation or services coming back in house. It can make the difference between decent pay or poverty pay.

For UNISON members working in local government – these elections are huge.

Yet they don’t just matter to local government members, they should matter to all of us who care about public services. Local government has been hit hardest by austerity and cuts, yet all of us rely on the services local government provides. From clean streets to social care, UNISON members keep our communities going.

But doing that requires support and leadership. That’s why we need to get more people into power in local government who will properly defend local services. More councillors who support our priorities and act with the interests of our members at heart.

So if there are elections tomorrow where you live, don’t forget to vote. Vote for better funded public services. Vote for opposition to Westminster-imposed austerity. And vote in the best interests of all UNISON members, and the public services you provide.

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Hospital catering workers strike on May Day

UNISON members in south Yorkshire are marking May Day with a strike for fair pay today – the first of 11 strike days they have planned throughout the month.

The members taking action are around 70 catering staff at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals trust. They were transferred to a private company – facilities management giant Sodexo – in 2017 and are striking against the company’s refusal to pay the Agenda for Change pay rise agreed last year for health staff employed by the NHS.

“Doncaster workers are striking as a last resort because Sodexo has refused to honour the national agreement,” said union regional organiser Sue Cookman.

“The company plans to bring in other staff to cover the strike days, using funds which would be put to better use simply paying these catering workers fairly.”

UNISON’s head of health Sara Gorton pointed out that many health workers employed by private contractors are paid “significantly less than the colleagues they work alongside”.

She called on ministers to find the money “to give these hardworking outsourced staff a long-overdue pay rise and ensure the NHS has enough staff to run its services well”.

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