Tax relief for NHS staff – don’t lose out!

We know that the current cost of living crisis, years of below-inflation pay increases and inadequate mileage reimbursement rates mean that our members working in the NHS are under an increasing amount of financial strain. And we know that for many of our members, all of this means every penny matters when it comes to making ends meet.

That’s why we want our members to benefit from our longstanding agreement with HMRC, which allows for health members working in certain professions to claim tax relief for cleaning their uniforms, and for nurses and midwives – their shoes and socks.

You may also be eligible for tax relief on 70 percent of your UNISON subs depending on what it is you do in the NHS and you will also qualify for tax relief on your professional registration fees.

To find our more including the eligibility criteria and how to make a claim, please see our resources below. Make sure you don’t lose out!

Our updated tax relief resource is available to activists on UNISON’s organising space and to staff via Pearl.

Find out what UNISON are doing about mileage rates in the NHS.

Find out more about UNISON’s NHS pay campaign.

The article Tax relief for NHS staff – don’t lose out! first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Dudley MP raises Mitie strikers’ struggle in the Commons

UNISON members employed by private contractor Mitie at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, in the West Midlands, received support yesterday from local MP Marco Longhi, in their fight to receive a government mandated COVID-19 bonus payment that has been paid to non-medical staff who are directly employed by the NHS.

Having already taken three days of strike action, they will be striking again on 25 and 27 March.

Conservative MP Mr Longhi asked the leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, whether she would support the workers.

He said: “I would like to place on record my thanks to the workers employed by Mitie during the pandemic and encourage the Department of Health and Social Care to work with me and resolve this issue.”

Ms Mordaunt responded that extra funding was being made available for private contractors such as Mitie to apply for money for the extra payment for those not directly employed by the health service.

She added that she would make sure the individual case of the Dudley hospital workers is looked at in a bid to resolve the problem.

Denise Stevens, a domestic at the hospital and a UNISON steward (pictured above on the right), said: “All we are asking for is the same COVID-19 bonus payment that NHS colleagues received last year.

“The support from the local Black Country community has been huge on strike days and throughout this dispute.

“We have received support from the Dudley North MP, Marco Longhi, as well as Labour politicians in the area, demonstrating that our support is widespread and from across the political spectrum.”

Regional organiser Ollie Hopkins added: “Mitie say they can’t afford to pay the bonus, but they have found the money to bus in strike-breaking workers, from Cumbria to Kent, with food provided, paid travel time, accommodation and a voucher offered for covering the strike action.

“The cruel irony, that Mitie say they can’t afford to pay low-paid workers the COVID bonus but can find the money for the strike breaking, has not been lost on the workers.

“As Marco Longhi MP said in Parliament, Mitie wants the taxpayer to cover the payments.

“But with millions in profits, Mitie should stop dragging their feet and waiting for the government to bail them out. Their CEO’s bonus was bigger than the total cost of the 450 Dudley health workers bonuses combined, so they have the money to end this dispute in an instant.”

The NHS workers in a Mitie fight for fair pay

The article Dudley MP raises Mitie strikers’ struggle in the Commons first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Dudley MP raises Mitie strikers’ struggle in the Commons

UNISON members employed by private contractor Mitie at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, in the West Midlands, received support yesterday from local MP Marco Longhi, in their fight to receive a government mandated COVID-19 bonus payment that has been paid to non-medical staff who are directly employed by the NHS.

Having already taken three days of strike action, they will be striking again on 25 and 27 March.

Conservative MP Mr Longhi asked the leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, whether she would support the workers.

He said: “I would like to place on record my thanks to the workers employed by Mitie during the pandemic and encourage the Department of Health and Social Care to work with me and resolve this issue.”

Ms Mordaunt responded that extra funding was being made available for private contractors such as Mitie to apply for money for the extra payment for those not directly employed by the health service.

She added that she would make sure the individual case of the Dudley hospital workers is looked at in a bid to resolve the problem.

Denise Stevens, a domestic at the hospital and a UNISON steward (pictured above on the right), said: “All we are asking for is the same COVID-19 bonus payment that NHS colleagues received last year.

“The support from the local Black Country community has been huge on strike days and throughout this dispute.

“We have received support from the Dudley North MP, Marco Longhi, as well as Labour politicians in the area, demonstrating that our support is widespread and from across the political spectrum.”

Regional organiser Ollie Hopkins added: “Mitie say they can’t afford to pay the bonus, but they have found the money to bus in strike-breaking workers, from Cumbria to Kent, with food provided, paid travel time, accommodation and a voucher offered for covering the strike action.

“The cruel irony, that Mitie say they can’t afford to pay low-paid workers the COVID bonus but can find the money for the strike breaking, has not been lost on the workers.

“As Marco Longhi MP said in Parliament, Mitie wants the taxpayer to cover the payments.

“But with millions in profits, Mitie should stop dragging their feet and waiting for the government to bail them out. Their CEO’s bonus was bigger than the total cost of the 450 Dudley health workers bonuses combined, so they have the money to end this dispute in an instant.”

The NHS workers in a Mitie fight for fair pay

The article Dudley MP raises Mitie strikers’ struggle in the Commons first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON ‘unequivocally condemns’ Tory donor’s ‘horrific abuse’

UNISON considers comments made by Frank Hester, the Tory Party’s biggest donor, that looking at Diane Abbott MP makes you “want to hate all black women” and the MP “should be shot”, to be racist and sexist, unacceptable and dangerous.

Diane Abbott MP has been a significant public figure since 1987, the first to open doors into political leadership for Black women. No woman in public life should have to accept this kind of abuse and intimidation. Black women all over the UK feel labelled, hurt, and scared.

UNISON unequivocally condemns Frank Hesters’s racist, violent language. The Prime Minister was also slow to acknowledge the comments as racist and wrong.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “The personalised, horrific abuse levelled at Diane Abbott is frightening. She has had to endure intolerable abuse and intimidation. Our members expect us to call this out. The government should do the same.”

The article UNISON ‘unequivocally condemns’ Tory donor’s ‘horrific abuse’ first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON ‘unequivocally condemns’ Tory donor’s ‘horrific abuse’

UNISON considers comments made by Frank Hester, the Tory Party’s biggest donor, that looking at Diane Abbott MP makes you “want to hate all black women” and the MP “should be shot”, to be racist and sexist, unacceptable and dangerous.

Diane Abbott MP has been a significant public figure since 1987, the first to open doors into political leadership for Black women. No woman in public life should have to accept this kind of abuse and intimidation. Black women all over the UK feel labelled, hurt, and scared.

UNISON unequivocally condemns Frank Hesters’s racist, violent language. The Prime Minister was also slow to acknowledge the comments as racist and wrong.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “The personalised, horrific abuse levelled at Diane Abbott is frightening. She has had to endure intolerable abuse and intimidation. Our members expect us to call this out. The government should do the same.”

The article UNISON ‘unequivocally condemns’ Tory donor’s ‘horrific abuse’ first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Care has gone into a tailspin under this government

Commenting on the Social Care 360 report, published today (Wednesday) by the King’s Fund, UNISON head of social care Gavin Edwards said:

“Care has gone into a tailspin on this government’s watch. A litany of broken promises and a complete absence of action best sums up ministers’ appalling neglect of the sector.

“Cash-strapped local authorities have been pushed ever closer to the edge by spiralling care costs.

“The blame for the crisis in care lies entirely with the government. Ministers have failed to ensure council funding bears any relation to the harsh economic reality. 

“The sector simply doesn’t have the staff to meet growing demands. Care workers are quitting for better-paid jobs on the high street, leaving employers increasingly reliant on staff from overseas. 

“The next government must make care the priority it’s never been. Labour has promised a national care service and crucially, a fair pay agreement in care. 

“Raising wages in this way won’t solve all the sector’s problems. But it will be an important first step that employers, staff and those being supported will all be able to get behind.”

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 the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Care has gone into a tailspin under this government first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Care has gone into a tailspin under this government

Commenting on the Social Care 360 report, published today (Wednesday) by the King’s Fund, UNISON head of social care Gavin Edwards said:

“Care has gone into a tailspin on this government’s watch. A litany of broken promises and a complete absence of action best sums up ministers’ appalling neglect of the sector.

“Cash-strapped local authorities have been pushed ever closer to the edge by spiralling care costs.

“The blame for the crisis in care lies entirely with the government. Ministers have failed to ensure council funding bears any relation to the harsh economic reality. 

“The sector simply doesn’t have the staff to meet growing demands. Care workers are quitting for better-paid jobs on the high street, leaving employers increasingly reliant on staff from overseas. 

“The next government must make care the priority it’s never been. Labour has promised a national care service and crucially, a fair pay agreement in care. 

“Raising wages in this way won’t solve all the sector’s problems. But it will be an important first step that employers, staff and those being supported will all be able to get behind.”

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 the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Care has gone into a tailspin under this government first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Proposals that seek to limit the right to peaceful protest must be rejected, says UNISON

UNISON is extremely concerned at recent reports that Lord Walney, the government’s independent adviser on political violence and disruption, has proposed that MPs, councillors and Labour-affiliated unions cut ties and no longer engage with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

UNISON completely opposes these proposals and limits on the right to peaceful protest, and urges the government and opposition parties to reject them.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign does not support protests outside the homes of elected representatives.

UNISON defends the right to peaceful protest outside MPs offices, town halls and Parliament. It also upholds the right of MPs and their staff to work without fear of intimidation or harassment.

UNISON was one of the first UK unions to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. It has also repeatedly called for full access to humanitarian assistance, the immediate and safe release of hostages and an end to the blockade of Gaza.

The union has encouraged branches and members to participate in peaceful protests in support of these demands and appealed for support for the emergency medical response in both Palestine and Israel.

The situation in Palestine and Israel has always been an international priority for UNISON and the union has consistently called for an end to the occupation and for a viable, contiguous Palestinian state alongside Israel.

UNISON condemns the appalling rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia seen in recent months.

The article Proposals that seek to limit the right to peaceful protest must be rejected, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Proposals that seek to limit the right to peaceful protest must be rejected, says UNISON

UNISON is extremely concerned at recent reports that Lord Walney, the government’s independent adviser on political violence and disruption, has proposed that MPs, councillors and Labour-affiliated unions cut ties and no longer engage with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

UNISON completely opposes these proposals and limits on the right to peaceful protest, and urges the government and opposition parties to reject them.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign does not support protests outside the homes of elected representatives.

UNISON defends the right to peaceful protest outside MPs offices, town halls and Parliament. It also upholds the right of MPs and their staff to work without fear of intimidation or harassment.

UNISON was one of the first UK unions to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. It has also repeatedly called for full access to humanitarian assistance, the immediate and safe release of hostages and an end to the blockade of Gaza.

The union has encouraged branches and members to participate in peaceful protests in support of these demands and appealed for support for the emergency medical response in both Palestine and Israel.

The situation in Palestine and Israel has always been an international priority for UNISON and the union has consistently called for an end to the occupation and for a viable, contiguous Palestinian state alongside Israel.

UNISON condemns the appalling rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia seen in recent months.

The article Proposals that seek to limit the right to peaceful protest must be rejected, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Fragmented and under-funded

Two fundamental themes came out of UNISON’s national community seminar and conference in Chester last weekend – organising and funding. Each is an issue which presents particular challenges to the community sector.

Funding

On funding, activists at the seminar on Friday heard a detailed presentation from Rebecca Young, head of policy, research and campaigns at The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).

Ms Young detailed the organisation’s recent research into the cost of delivering public services in the charity and voluntary sector. She said that the research surveyed over 300 organisations and, although it couldn’t claim to be fully representative of the voluntary sector, “it gives a meaningful snapshot of the experiences of voluntary organisations delivering public services in 2023/24.”

It found that charities have always been a part of the “ecosystem of public services” and provide just under £17bn worth of essential services.

Yet, due to a lack of adequate public funding, many of them struggle to meet the demand. As a result, they are either reducing the number of people they support, subsidising their funding with other sources of income, or withdrawing from public service delivery altogether.

On a workforce level, four out of five respondents said it was more difficult to recruit and retain staff. Meanwhile, 45% said it is already, or will be more difficult to pay the national minimum wage in the next year without subsidising funding, while 58% said the same of the real living wage.

Funding was again a theme during the sector’s conference, on Saturday, underpinning many of the motions.

One motion, ‘Pay for the real responsibilities of all care workers’ noted that introducing a national fair pay agreement would be a positive first step towards dealing with endemic low pay.

However, it also identified that to implement a fully evaluated national pay structure for care roles, UNISON must campaign for full funding from government.

And a motion on ‘the real value of the charity and voluntary sector’ called on the service group executive to campaign, with the NCVO and other appropriate organisations, for increased funding of the services the sector provides.

Organising

Elsewhere, several motions identified the host of difficulties faced in organising in the sector.

One motion, ‘Supporting organising in community hybrid workplaces’, acknowledged the central issues. It said: “Many community employers are small organisations with little or no HR or IT capability. As a result, there are particular challenges engaging staff as a coherent team and for UNISON to organise effectively.”

It went on to argue that this fundamental issue has only been compounded by the move to hybrid working, as “many charities have closed their offices, forcing their workers to become homeworkers.”

As well as having a huge diversity of employers, the community sector also has a particularly diverse workforce. The motion ‘Engaging and developing Black activists’ identified the continued reports of racism which Black workers experience. It argued that even with the success of the union’s Year of the Black Worker in 2023, there must be continued support for Black members to network and organise.

Another motion identified the vulnerability of migrant workers in the social care sector. The skilled worker visa leaves workers ‘tied’ to employers and can prevent migrant workers from raising issues in their workplace for fear of repercussion.

The motion called on the service group executive to ensure that those members are signposted toward appropriate UNISON support and that the issues they face are covered by the union’s campaign for a national care service.

 

The article Fragmented and under-funded first appeared on the UNISON National site.