’Tis the season to be voting!

Are you ready to make a difference? Because you can! By using your vote on 12 December you can save our NHS, help our schools, protect our communities and make a real difference to the people you care about. The future of our public services is at stake – please use your vote If you […]

Support the Frimley Strikers Hardship Fund

In August 2019, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust declared their intention to create a “Wholly Owned Subsidiary” company. This would mean transferring over 950 staff from Wexham Park, Frimley Park, and Heatherwood Hospitals, working in Portering, Estates, Security, Housekeeping, and Catering services to the subsidiary, stripping staff of their NHS status. The creation of subsidiary […]

Health and safety is clearly important… Right?

Every year, on 28th April, workers across the world mark ‘Workers Memorial Day’. This is time set aside to remember those injured, made sick or killed by hazards in their workplaces. The Health and Safety Executive report 144 worker deaths in their 2017/18 figures, with 1.4 million people suffering from a work-related illness. This year, […]

Winning Fair Pay in Adult Social Care

After a long wait, in the summer of 2018, both Independence Support Assistants and Higher Grade Social Workers working for Portsmouth City Council received grade uplifts. These regradings were well-earned but destabilised the overall pay structure. Through UNISON members working together and standing up for each other, Adult Social Care staff challenged and won fair […]

UNISON ballots over pay at the Environment Agency

UNISON will ballot on pay from 14 March after the Environment Agency imposed an average 1.3% pay increase despite 90% of members rejecting that offer.   Here’s one workers’ story: “I love my job as I really enjoy working outdoors and  spend much of my week out and about driving between sites and walking stretches […]

Axing millions from youth work puts futures at risk, says UNISON

Young people’s futures are being put at risk as a result of the government axing £13.3m from youth services across the UK in just three years, according to a UNISON report published today (Monday). The report – Youth Services at Breaking Point – reveals that between 2016 and 2019*, nearly 900 youth worker jobs have […]

UNISON celebrates becoming the UK’s biggest union

UNISON is marking becoming the UK’s biggest union by launching a month of recruitment activity today (Tuesday) to reach out to every worker in the country providing public services. The union has now more than 1.3 million people in its membership who work in education, local government, the NHS, the police service and the energy […]

Parents fighting to save a Surrey primary school have been thrown a lifeline

Surrey County Council (SCC) has announced a “pause” in the process to shut Ripley CofE Primary School, which until this time last year had 144 pupils. The move comes after concern that officials failed to follow correct procedures during the process. UNISON South East has been working extensively to support affected members at the school, […]

Southampton City Council Commits to UNISON Care Charter

The council’s Labour team pledge to sign UNISON’s Ethical and residential care charters on May 7th Announcement made in Labour’s manifesto pledges for upcoming election Council will be first in country to sign up to Residential Care Charter   Southampton City Council will join local authorities nationwide in signing up to UNISON’s Ethical Care Charter, […]

PASNAS and USS: University staff deserve a decent pension

At University of Southampton, campus trade unions rallied with sympathetic students to protest attacks on staff pension schemes. Although only members of USS scheme are currently on strike as part of UCU’s national industrial action, at this university all staff pensions are under threat and in various stages of consultation. This is why members of […]

UNISON stress seminar launches new stress toolkit

Following on from a highly successful UNISON Stress Seminar held in November, UNISON has launched a Stress Toolkit for branches and activists. The toolkit has great advice on how to organising and bargain around the issues of stress in the workplace with practical help and advice. Download UNISON Stress Toolkit  

Surrey Heartlands devolution plans must not be rushed through, says UNISON

Surrey Heartlands must consult openly with the public and staff over their plans to reform health and social care services, says UNISON. The NHS and council leaders in Surrey last month signed a pledge towards a health devolution deal – the second in the country of its kind after Greater Manchester. The agreement will involve greater accountability locally over how […]

Raise your voices for public services on Saturday

People’s Assembly-organised march will take place as the Conservative government pledges extra money to Northern Ireland to gain DUP support

Unions call for a long overdue pay rise for hard-pressed council employees

Three unions representing more than 1.6 million local government employees in schools and councils across England, Wales and Northern Ireland have submitted a pay claim that attempts to narrow the growing gap between declining wages and the rising cost of living. The claim for the year from next April seeks to move the lowest paid […]

Worried about the costs of sending children to school?

Get help with school uniform costs this summer form UNISON’s own welfare arm There for you