The governments continued mishandling of the pandemic drives many people to join UNISON. We cannot and will not let them down
regional secretary’s blog

South East regional secretary Steve Torrance gives his thanks to everyone working over Christmas and the reps who’ve supported UNISON members in 2020

In normal circumstances, the political turmoil of a government and their advisors would not be ‘breaking news’, and I wouldn’t feel any compulsion to discuss it. Not so the case of Dominic Cummings. There has never been a more divisive special adviser to the Prime Minister than him. From the lies that helped achieve the ‘leave’ vote in the 2016 EU referendum, to flouting the Covid national lockdown rules set by […]

As we head into the second lockdown, I have nothing but admiration and absolute pride in UNISON members

The announcement of a replacement for the furlough scheme this week is welcomed, but have they gone far enough to stop the spread of the virus, and protect jobs?

South East Regional Secretary pays tribute to Dave Prentis, who has announced his retirement in December of this year

As a union, we are in a strong position right now, but we need to maintain our strength and visibility for the undoubtedly rocky road ahead

UNISON has always actively challenged racism, and will always do so, wherever it raises its vile head

I hope this email finds you safe and well ahead of the last bank holiday of Spring. I know that many of you will be working throughout, but for those that are able to take some time off, I hope you manage to have an enjoyable and well-deserved break (with appropriate social distancing obviously!) I’m […]

Belated May Day greetings. A massive thank you to everyone supporting members through redeployment, dealing with furloughed staff and the urgent advice to members over safe working and access to appropriate PPE. I’d also like to extend my thanks to UNISON regional staff who are working incredibly hard behind the scenes to offer continuity and support, advice and assistance during these incredibly difficult times. As the nation joined […]

First of all, I hope you, your families, your colleagues and your friends are all staying safe and keeping well. This week I have been speaking to branch secretaries across the South East, starting with our health branches, to make sure that we, as a region, offer the best support and assistance during this time. The stories I have heard from the frontlines of the Covid-19 crisis have been truly harrowing. I have heard of large–scale redeployments, with many activists now working […]