2023 National Health Conference

Recruitment, retention and registration discussed at health conference

Health conference closed yesterday (Wednesday) with a session focussing on the recruitment and retention of health staff.

Jonathon Whitney, speaking to health conference from the podium, in Bournemouth

Jonathon Whitney (pictured above) from University Hospitals Birmingham branch moved a motion calling on UNISON to campaign to reinstate paid training and raise public awareness of health student debt.

Speaking of his personal experience with the bursary system that was ended in 2016, he said: “In 2009 I found myself in an awkward situation. Having been made redundant, I was looking for a new career – and the bursary is the reason I am standing here now.

“It gave me hope that there was a career, I had never thought about, in the NHS.

He told conference of conversations he has had in his workplace more recently: “I was speaking to some of the younger members in my department and they have massive debt they’ve accrued over the last three years, from the cost of training, never mind the cost of living,” and argued that this huge level of debt is a massive factor in the inability to recruit new staff into the NHS.

“We need to be able to recruit people or there will be no-one left,” he said.

Megan, an HCA from Nottingham university hospitals branch spoke of the exciting news that she has a place on a nursing course in September. But she added that she was extremely nervous about how she was going to fund it.

“I won’t be able to work a job full time and the financial costs of being a student are higher than ever.”

She highlighted that not only does the bursary mean students have to worry less about finances but that “The bursary will ease the pressure on us and allow us to actually focus on developing the training and skills we need.”

Rising costs of registration

Ruby James (pictured above), of the science, therapy and technical occupational group, moved a motion on the recent attempt by the health and care professions council (HCPC) to hike their registration fees.

She said: “The HCPC has once again decided to increase its registration fees by a massive amount. 20% – double inflation. If we don’t pay, we don’t work.”

The move would affect a number of professions including occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, clinical scientists and many others.

She continued: “HCPC fees have risen by almost 50% since 2014. If only our pay had risen by the same amount. This shouldn’t fall on us, the registrants to bail out the HCPC.”

Eddie Woolley, an operating department practitioner on the health service group executive (HSGE), highlighted the extra lengths regulated professions have to go to: “We have to provide evidence that we’re fit to practice, work in our own time, just to prove that we’re able to work.”

He decried the poor value for money which the council provides registrants and said: “Regulators need to be held accountable. If the HCPC was a healthcare professional, it would be kicked off its own register.”

The motion called on the HSGE to survey members to develop UNISON’s position on regulation and the regulators and push for reform that is not detrimental to members while ensuring patient safety.

Protect overseas nursing and care staff

Fern fox speaking from the podium at health conference Bournemouth

Continuing on a theme of recruitment and retention in the NHS Fern Fox (pictured above), a South East region delegate, told conference: “We are all very conscious of nursing shortages in our NHS. Recruiting staff from overseas are how gaps are filled. But it is a fact that these nurses are being exploited by employers.”

She highlighted how many overseas staff are vulnerable and must be given support and asked delegates to think of their experience, talking with international colleagues and hearing their stories of racism and exploitation.

The motion welcomed the establishment of UNISON’s network for overseas nurses and called on the SGE to continue to lobby government for proper enforcement of provisions within the code of practice for the international recruitment of health and social care staff.

Safe staffing levels in our NHS

A delegate holds up an orange voting card at health conference

Gamu Nyasoro moved a motion of safe staffing levels in the NHS. She opened by asking conference: “How many of you have gone to work and they tell you, ‘you need to go to the emergency department because they are short’? Or how many times on a nightshift is a newly qualified band five put in charge of the whole ward?”

She noted how: “If we don’t have safe staffing levels, we harm our patients because we won’t be able to give the best care,” but asked conference not to forget that “We also harm our staff – they can’t go to the toilet, they can’t eat, their sickness levels increase.”

Dawn Ward, Cardiff & Vale health, told conference of the effect that the 2016 safe staffing act has had in Wales, saying: “It’s not perfect, but having legislation means our employers have a statutory duty report their safe staffing levels.”

She spoke of her branch’s involvement in a pilot campaign which saw staff take a survey after every shift to report whether staffing was at safe levels.

The motion, which carried, called on the HSGE to learn lessons from the pilot campaign and investigate unsafe staffing levels further and to organise to ensure staff are involved in workforce planning.

The article Recruitment, retention and registration discussed at health conference first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Health conference asks why ambulance staff aren’t an emergency service

The final day of UNISON’s annual health conference in Bournemouth opened with delegates standing in a minute’s silence to mark the upcoming International Workers’ Memorial Day on 28 April (above).

Moving to the business of the day, debates were heard on a variety issues.

Retirement age parity

A motion submitted by the ambulance occupational group highlighted the disparity in retirement age between police, fire service and ambulance staff.

Peter Steventon, South East central ambulance, opened the motion saying: “You would assume that NHS ambulance staff would be recognised as an ‘emergency service’. You would be wrong – we are regarded as an ‘essential service’.

“We don’t retire at 60 like emergency services, ambulance staff starting their career today won’t be able to retire until 68,” adding :“It has been proven that ambulance staff suffer the most muscular skeletal injuries in the NHS.”

One delegate told conference: “When you get a bunch of ambulance staff together you regularly have the conversation return to: best pain killer; best app for back exercises; or why does my ankle make that clicking noise?

“After the recent strike the public have a deeper understanding of the strains of being ambulance staff and now is the time to capitalise on this.”

Ben Morris continued the debate, saying: “As a 26-year-old, I have 41 more years of work left in front of me. 41 years of carrying heavy equipment, 41 more years of carrying patients, 41 more years of stress and declining mental and physical health. This cannot continue.”

Fighting privatisation in the ambulance sector

Delegates at health cvonference holding up orange voting papers at health conference, Bournemouth

Jo Farrell, national ambulance occupational group moved the motion, saying: “Privatisation continues to be one of the biggest threats to the NHS. UNISON research indicates that ambulance trusts in England are spending £42 million a year on hiring private ambulances.

“In my trust, we have paid so much money to one company that they have grown from a small company with 10 vehicles to a huge company which now has four large ambulance stations, two HQ buildings and its own fleet workshop provision.

“Think about that. An NHS trust is using a considerable amount of its own budget, paid by taxpayers, to benefit a private provider and then that private provider is using that money to be in direct competition with the trust.

“It’s like turkeys voting for Christmas.”

Julie Reynolds spoke of her experience being a patient transport driver in the NHS before she was TUPE transferred to a private company.

She said: “I enjoyed my time in the NHS but private contractors just care about how much profit they make. They only care about KPI’s [key performance indicators].” She argued no health staff should be outsourced: “After all we are all one team.”

Halting privatisation and driving insourcing

Continuing on the theme of privatisation, a delegate from the North West region, spoke of the success the region has had in fighting for insourcing.

She said: “In the North West we have settled or taken industrial action in nearly 20 of these outsourced contracts. With workers winning AFC and higher pay and conditions.

“But like painting the Forth Bridge, it’s a never-ending job.”

Joyce Alrdidge health SGE, added: “Over the last few years UNISON, through our US2 campaign has been at the forefront of campaigning against the privatisation of services. Often undertaken by stealth by NHS trusts in a bid to cut costs.

“But the real costs have been to our colleagues in the erosion of their pay and terms and conditions. We must continue to challenge and stand up to these attempts to erode workers rights and pay. And we must remind the NHS bosses of the benefits of retaining in house services.”

The motion called on the health service group executive to campaign for a publicly owned and run NHS, co-ordinate an audit of rates of pay in all NHS contracts and provide guidance to branches to support local in-sourcing campaigns.

Making UNISON a ballot-ready health union

Bryn Webster chair of the national ambulance committee speaking at health conference

Bryn Webster (pictured above) opened debate on the motion, speaking of his experiences both nationally, as chair of UNISON’s national ambulance committee, and locally, as branch secretary of Yorkshire Ambulance service who achieved a strike mandate in the recent NHS pay dispute.

He told conference: “We should be proud of being the largest union in the NHS but with that comes great responsibility. We ended up with the largest turnout ever seen in UNISON with over 93,000 votes cast.”

“I was very proud that Yorkshire ambulance got over the line, but we weren’t as organised as we thought we were.”

Another speaker, Peter Steventon, branch secretary at South East central ambulance, told conference that at his branch: “We were 9 votes short of 50% turnout – it was heart-breaking for those involved.

“We can deliver industrial mandates, we can get over 50% – but there is no magic bullet.” Before highlighting how “It’s the boring stuff that gets you mandates,” – such as data cleansing, updating records and GDPR.

“Conference we can beat these Tory laws – but it takes a lot of organising.”

The article Health conference asks why ambulance staff aren’t an emergency service first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Health workers and activists endure “unrelenting stress”

Delegates at UNISON’s health conference in Bournemouth this week shared harrowing experiences of how they and their fellow members are suffering the mental toll of their duties and workplace experiences, through and beyond the pandemic.

The persistent theme was of a workforce hellbent on protecting the public – and, in the case of activists, protecting their fellow members – while paying the price in their own deteriorating health and wellbeing.

Martin McKay, of Scotland region, summed up a health crisis within the health service, when he said: “Everyone in this room is carrying the trauma of the last three years. It’s important we learn from that shared experience.”

Numerous motions charted the different mental health pressures that UNISON health members are under.

A familiar one was on ambulance staff, who delegates heard were experiencing “unrelenting stress”, not just from the increasing pressure caused by underfunding and the longest waiting times ever recorded, but also the frustration felt by crews “who want to do their very best for patients, but cannot because it is out of their control.”

One member spoke of “the devastating affect on staff on the ground. Mental health is through the floor.”

The result is work-related anxiety spilling over to the rest of their lives and record numbers of ambulance staff leaving the service.

As Jo Fowles (above) of South West Ambulance branch put it: “The escalating pressure is taking a terrible toll on many at work. It means that large numbers of staff are voting with their feet and saying ‘enough is enough’.

“Many parts of the service are already badly understaffed, so we can’t afford to lose any more workforce. In my trust, at one stage we were experiencing 30 resignations a month, an average of one a day. And we can’t replace those people, because recruitment is also a problem.”

This affected all four of the UK nations, she said, with the need to “ratchet up the pressure on politicians to end the crisis and fund our NHS service properly.”

Another motion spoke of the mental health illness of Black staff in the NHS, for whom experiences of racism, discrimination and inequity, and the difficulties experienced by overseas workers when relocating to the UK, all add to the pressures on psychological wellbeing.

These issues were compounded by the lack of understanding and culturally aware care shown towards Black members suffering from mental illness.

Mr McKay (above) proposed the motion ‘supporting NHS workers who experience declining mental health’, which noted that the last few years have shown an increasing deterioration in the mental health of workers in public services, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Increasing levels of stress in workplaces can lead to workers developing PTSD, unless they receive timely and appropriate support, the motion said.

In October 2022, for example, NHS Lothian reported that more than half (52%) of the board’s sickness absence was due to anxiety, stress, depression or other psychiatric illness.

At the same time, the motion noted that LGBT+ NHS workers are experiencing poorer work-related wellbeing and struggles with their wider mental and psychological heath – exacerbated for trans, non-binary and gender diverse workers.

The motion calls on the health service group executive to work with other committees to identify areas of good practice for mental health campaigning amongst UNISON branches, and promote those throughout the union; and to work with the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland health committee to ensure that health employers understand their responsibilities in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their staff.

Mr McKay, a mental health nurse for 35 years, hoped that the motion would guide delegates towards “a new work environment, a mentally healthy workplace, where those who need the most assistance and support, receive that support.”

During a debate on the need for more health and safety officers, conference heard that existing reps “got us through the pandemic. What was already terrible could have been so much worse.”

But, adding a bitter twist to these debates, was the news that UNISON branch officers and activists were suffering themselves, due to the affects of trying to help their members through one national crisis after another.

Proposing the motion ‘Supporting the health and wellbeing of health branch officers and representatives’, Peter McKinlay of Lanarkshire Health branch (above) told delegates: “Being a UNISON activist is not something that you can switch off at the end of your shift or when you log out of your PC. You don’t switch off from difficult conversations that you have with your members, or with managers.

“Sometimes, as activists, you forget to take care of your own mental health,” he continued. “We share the life experiences of our members – and those shared experiences have an adverse effect on activists’ mental health and wellbeing.”

He said that inadequate facility time for activists continued to be a problem, and many were facing burnout.

Ayesha Johnstone, of Northumberland & Tyne & Wear Health branch (above) also spoke of the “unprecedented pressures” on reps.

“It is increasingly difficult for activists to get time off. We must ensure we give activists the full support they need to protect their mental health and wellbeing.”

Images: Jess Hurd

The article Health workers and activists endure “unrelenting stress” first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Health conference debates pay

Images: Jess Hurd

Pay talk dominated conference business this morning (Tuesday) at UNISON’s annual health conference in Bournemouth.

The morning started with general secretary Christina McAnea taking the opportunity to invite representatives from all health branches who secured a strike mandate in their pay disputes over the last year, to take to the stage, where they received an impassioned standing ovation from delegates (pictured above).

Striking health branches receive a standing ovation from delegates at annual health conference Bournemouth

Conference business then started with an emergency motion on the recent NHS pay offer and the response of the health unions to it.

Moving the motion, Wilma Brown, chair of the health service group executive (SGE), said the motion was “about the months of hard work and sacrifice it takes to run successful action.

“It’s about the members willing to lose a day’s pay to go on strike. I want to pay tribute to everyone involved in building to strike action.”

She spoke of the decisive results in UNISON’s consultation on the new offer, which returned a 74% accept vote on a turnout of over 50%.

She said that this year, at conference, it was “essential to be honest. First of all about the offer, because you wont be able to find anyone here who says that this is all health workers deserve.” But also highlighting that “we wont know for certain what will happen next year until all unions have declared their results. But this motion lays out our plan.”

She also called on conference to “build on what we’ve learned in getting mandates for strike action.” And highlighted the increased levels of participation in the recent pay consultation saying: “This stands us in great stead for the future.”

The motion noted the ‘particular significance of the talks to NHS staff Northern Ireland’ due to the fact that there are no sitting ministers in place in NI to make NHS funding decisions.

Stephanie Green from UNISON Northern health branch noted that: “UNISON Northern Ireland were the first members of the union to begin strike action.

“But conference will be aware that NI has no functioning executive. The Tory government wants to use us as pawns in their political game. Well, no more. Watch this space, we ask for you solidarity as we take a strong stance on this in the days and weeks ahead. We will not be fourth class citizens.”

Speaking for the motion Sam Kimberly said: “At the end of the day, we are not just here to represent us, we are here to represent those with no voice, the lowest paid, the members who don’t have time to attend meetings, who can’t afford to attend meetings.

“This is a democracy, the members have accepted the offer, we now need to get on and get the money in members pockets as soon as possible.”

The motion carried, calling upon the service group to declare UNISON’s accept mandate to the NHS staff council and explore the potential to achieve a joint position with the other health unions and seek confirmation from the government that the offer will be implemented at the earliest opportunity.

Flat rate pay uplifts: our approach to pay justice

Tanya Pretswell speaking at health conference Bournemouth

Conference then turned its attention to a motion re-affirming the union’s commitment to seeking flat rate pay increases in the health sector.

The motion noted that percentage pay awards, applied equally, increase the pay gap between the lowest and highest paid in any pay structure, that gender and race pay gaps are fuelled by this fact and that the consequences of inflation are deeply regressive, and have a disproportionate impact on lower paid workers.

Speaking of the union’s prior commitment to flat rate pay increases Tanya Pretswell (pictured above), moving the motion for the health SGE, said: “Now is the time to go further, we need a set of tools to help us put this into practice.

“This motion sets out a clear work programme to ensure we can set claims on credible flat rate sums and gives negotiators the tools to do so.” The motion was passed, unamended.

Calling time on the pay review body

Heather Kelly speaking to conference

The next motion which noted that, following a consultation spawned from a motion at last year’s conference, the general appetite for ‘calling time’ on the Pay Review Body (PRB) has been confirmed.

One delegate said: “You told us the PRB was discredited in the eyes of our members and ultimately this motion is about trust, who do you trust? Who do the members trust? Is it our union, or is it those members of the PRB? They’ve never cared for a person or looked after a person in need in their lives.

“No-one is pretending direct negotiations are going to be easy, but we take ownership and we rely on, and trust, ourselves. We get our best settlements when we lead, when we take our members and negotiate directly. Our future decisions on pay should be decided by us.”

He highlighted the failures of the PRB recently including: in 2022 recommending a £1400 pay rise with inflation at 13%; and in 2021 the PRB report saying “Agenda For Change terms do not reflect the realities of nursing, preparing the ground for a nursing only pay spine.”

Speaking of Scotland’s experience building a collective bargaining position and direct negotiation relationship with the government in Holyrood, Heather Kelly (pictured above) told delegates: “There is nothing to fear from calling time on the PRB – if we are truly serious about collective bargaining – we need to get serious and get serious now.”

The motion endorsed UNISON’s ten-point plan as set out in the report ‘Our pay, Our say’ with an end goal of collective bargaining on annual pay awards within each of the UK administrations.

The NHS is One Team – no separate pay spine for nurses

Gamu Nyasoro speaking at UNISON's annual health conference in bournemouth

The debate on pay finished with a rousing debate on the motion – The NHS is One Team – no separate pay spine for nurses. The motion referenced the government commitment to the Royal College of Nursing to consider a separate pay spine in England for nursing staff exclusively and “opposes the creating of a separate pay spine.”

Gamu Nyasoro (pictured above) moved the motion saying: “The media has managed to portray the NHS as only doctors and nurses – but we know better.”

She told conference a personal story of taking her son to the hospital when he was 18 months old, and the huge variety of workers she met on that trip. Doctors, nurses, porters, security staff, radiologists, cleaners, health care assistants and many more. This, for her, embodied UNISON’s One Team belief.

Ms Nyasoro continued, moving onto the recent pay dispute, “After weeks of pay negotiations, imagine our surprise when the government announced they were pursuing further negotiations with just one of the unions.

“It’s simply a tactic to divide and conquer and break up collective bargaining. Conference lets put a stop to this Brexit for nurses. Lets show the government they will not break us, we are one team.”

Anne Cherry Northern health and community branch

Anne Cherry (pictured above) of the Northern health and community branch told conference “I’ve been a nurse for 40 years, always in unions that stand for all health staff.”

She continued: “Across the cover of the old, little blue COHSE rulebook I remember it said. ‘All for one, one for all’.

“We certainly weren’t The Three Musketeers, but we meant it. Delegates have spoken elegantly about one team in this conference and we must stand together in support of that.”

Trudie Martin, chair of the nursing and midwifery occupational group, told delegates: “We understand that our strength comes from our unity and we will not stand by and be divided from our colleagues.”

She called the proposals “completely unworkable” and a distraction and said: “ We cannot tolerate this proposal to divide and rule. Let’s defeat this proposal, grow our nursing family work to strengthen agenda for change as One Team.”

The motion called on the SGE to work collectively with other unions to reject proposals for a nurses only pay spine and to highlight the danger of dismantling the harmonised pay spine.

The article Health conference debates pay first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Health conference celebrates union’s re-banding wins

The ground-breaking re-banding of health care assistants (HCAs) achieved by UNISON branches in recent months was celebrated by health conference delegates in Bournemouth yesterday, during a busy afternoon of Agenda for Change motions.

Campaigns on overtime, reducing the working week and protecting the NHS pension were among the other key topics discussed by delegates.

Among the re-banding wins, last year thousands of HCAs across Manchester received up to £5,000 in backdated earnings, after a six-year battle to be re-banded, from band 2 to 3, in acknowledgement of the fact they were carrying out clinical duties way beyond their grade and pay.

And this year the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust agreed to regrade nearly 100 HCAs, with members receiving almost £2,000 a year pay rises.

In proposing the motion ‘winning re-banding campaigns’, Conroy Lawrence of Greater London region (pictured below) told delegates that as a result of the London success, members were now receiving “the right pay for the job they are doing” and had witnessed their union as a force in the workplace, new members were joining, and new activists were stepping forward.

“These battles are winnable and what our union is all about. It’s important and our union is the only union that can win these campaigns in the NHS.”

Another speaker added: “This is putting pounds back in members pockets. It is a massive achievement. And most important, it’s member-led. It’s what we can achieve when our members are with us.”

They shared a story of one health care assistant who told her that she could now afford to take her family on holiday for the first time in 16 years.

But she added: “This is not just about pay, but career progression.”

Delegates agreed that re-banding campaigns could now be utilised to benefit other health workers, enabling them to be paid according to their knowledge, skills and expertise.

In passing the the motion, delegates called on the health service group executive to support regional health committees and branches to take “a more systematic and coordinated approach” to re-banding battles.

Nursing staff

A further motion noted that while the Pay Fair for Patient Care campaign had focussed on HCAs, that focus now needs to “spread upwards through the rest of the nursing family”.

In a recent UNISON survey of nursing and midwifery members, many nursing members reported that their job descriptions were inaccurate, rarely, if ever updated and greatly understate the actual complexity of their role.

The motion called on the HSGE to launch a campaign to encourage nursing and midwifery staff to ensure their job descriptions are updated, and support them to ask for a banding review of their role has changed significantly.

Working week

Conference heard of the “burnout” experienced by so many health members, who have been working “unsustainable hours” under enormous pressure, and with the government constantly refusing to pay them accordingly.

As one delegate said: “We’re exhausted. We are at our limit. The system is broken.”

Against this backdrop, the strategy of reducing the working week, long a key goal of the trade union movement, has re-emerged in recent years, particularly as retention has become a key issue across sectors.

A motion on reducing the working week for NHS/HSC staff noted a global trend towards a four-day week, with no loss of pay, resulting in greater productivity, better work-life balance and a “win-win for workers and employers”.

And delegates approved a motion to pursue this goal for health members, charging their executive to:

explore options for practical ways to implement the principle of 100% pay for 80% work with 100% productivity, in the 24/7 environment of the NHS;
identify how the 100:80:100 principle could be best described in reference to Agenda for Change terms and conditions;
include the 100:80:100 principle as a priority in future pay claims/negotiations.

Pensions

The three NHS pension schemes, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, are a valued part of the NHS pay and reward structure, and an essential aid to recruitment and retention of NHS staff. Employer pension contributions represent a significant investment available to health workers.

However, conference heard that the cost of living crisis has resulted in many staff experiencing in-work poverty and, as a consequence, a significant increase in health workers opting out of their pension schemes.

One speaker told delegates: “The Tories are trying to destroy NHS pensions by forcing people out of it and making it unsustainable.”

Another added: “The pension is one shining light at the end of a long and sometimes painful tunnel. We need the Tories to keep their grubby hands off it. We need to protect the pension.”

Delegates called on the HSGE to work with other unions to seek improvements in pension scheme administration and accuracy of information given to members, to promote awareness and understanding of scheme benefits, and other measures geared towards promoting, defending and improving the NHS pensions.

Overtime

Conference noted that many NHS employers have been ignoring the NHS pay, terms and conditions handbook on overtime, instead paying staff on bank or sessional rates, which are usually considerably less than overtime rates, with subsequent loss of pension accrual.

A composite motion ‘bring back overtime’ stated that this was being done “solely to circumvent Agenda for Change overtime pay rates and save money at the expense of staff – to make the workforce pay for underfunding of services.”

Delegates called on the HSGE to:

lobby nationally for employers to stay within the boundaries set out in the AfC handbook with regards to overtime;
raise the issue in the NHS Staff Council and devolved negotiating bodies;
encourage and support branches to raise this issue with their NHS employers;
design campaigns to organise around the removal of bank as a standard practice.

Images: Jess Hurd

The article Health conference celebrates union’s re-banding wins first appeared on the UNISON National site.

‘This deal puts money in members pay packets – and they voted decisively to accept it’

Photos: Jess Hurd

UNISON’s general secretary Christina McAnea, gave the keynote address to UNISON’s annual health conference this afternoon (Monday) in Bournemouth and thanked the lay leadership, staff and each and every health activist for their work during a “tough year” for the NHS.

Throughout that year, the health service has faced “the longest waiting times on record, highest levels of dissatisfaction, highest levels of staff vacancies.”

But Ms McAnea argued it was a testament to the work of UNISON’s members, activists and staff, that when public and media attention turned to the NHS strikes in England, “they laid the blame squarely where it needed to be – with the government in Westminster.”

NHS pay disputes

She went on to praise the work done in Scotland in their dispute: “The threats of industrial action and weeks of pay negotiations – led by our very own Wilma Brown – resulting in a deal that delivered pay increases of between £3,700 and £6,500.”

She also highlighted the work of UNISON Northern Ireland, saying: “What a campaign! No government to speak to – employers who can’t take decisions – and yet you still managed to get huge support and you forced the secretary of state to meet with you and, now, you have talks on pay.

“You have shown the power of UNISON. The power of a one team approach. The power of solidarity and collective action.”

Moving back to the NHS dispute in England, Ms McAnea said “We warned the government – back in July and August, that £1,400 was not enough, and that a dispute was inevitable.

“But still, the Tories in Westminster refused to talk to us. They refused to get a grip on the crisis in the NHS, and the pay crisis affecting families across the UK.

NHS strikes in England

“And so, the strikes began in December and we started with strike mandates in eight employers. Of course, we would have liked many more to get over the 50% ballot threshold.

“But with so many branches getting over 40%, it was clear how much work had gone in.

“And I say to anyone who can’t bring themselves to be positive about our union’s work – don’t talk down our efforts. Look at what those eight branches achieved. The publicity – the media coverage – the public support.”

She said it was a “huge privilege” to meet amazing activists from “Sheffield to Soundwell and Waterloo to Windy Nook.” Adding that her job “was made easier because I was able to see first-hand both your commitment to your job and your determination to see this fight through.”

She told delegates it was no coincidence that, a few days after UNISON received a strike mandate from a further 10 out of 11 re-balloted employers, the Westminster government “finally said they would talk to us and critically, put significantly more money on offer.

“We were prepared to bring out almost the entire ambulance service in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Bringing out blood and transplant and specialist hospitals would have been another serious blow to the government. It showed the strength of feeling.”

The improved NHS pay offer

Speaking of the improved offer which came out of the negotiations, Christina said: “Is it the best deal ever – of course not. Do you deserve more, yes you do. But this deal will put money in people’s pay packets. And members have voted decisively to accept it.”

Responding to the idea that 53% turnout isn’t high enough for a strong mandate Ms McAnea said: “If we’d got that in an industrial action ballot – we wouldn’t hesitate to bring people out on strike.”

To the idea that UNISON members accepted the offer only because they’re predominantly low-paid, she said: “Many of our members may be low paid – but that doesn’t mean they don’t understand, or didn’t know what this offer meant.

“Don’t let anyone patronise our members. We gave them the full information. We didn’t hide anything. We didn’t sugarcoat it. And members made up their own mind.”

She continued: “I appreciate each union will do the best they can for their own members. But we also believe in solidarity. We could have done a side-deal and had separate talks. But we didn’t, because we believe in collective action.

“More than that. The reason we need to do right by every part of the workforce in the NHS is because patients need every part of it to be working. If it takes a village to raise a child. It takes a whole team to care for a patient.”

Other avenues to better pay

Moving on from the NHS pay dispute Ms McAnea noted that strikes are only one way to get better pay. “We’ve also had the brilliant earnings max campaign. You’ve put £150 million into people’s pay packets in back pay. We have over 59 live pay fair campaigns across all regions – and over the next year these campaigns will be expanding.”

She closed her speech by saying: “I love coming to this conference. What you do matters to everyone in this country and what you do matters in our union. You are at the centre of the big political debate in our country right now.

“So, make sure you are at the heart and centre of what our great union does next.”

Wilma Brown, chair of the health SGE, opening health service group conference in Bournemouth

Photo: Jess Hurd

Earlier in the day, conference had been opened by Wilma Brown, chair of the health service group executive.

Ms Brown opened by noting that: “This year our annual get-together feels extremely well-timed.” Adding, “It’s been a long time since delegates were able to debate an actual pay rise at conference.

“Whatever you think of the offer, there is no denying the impressive levels of engagement that have been achieved by the union. And it is testament to the huge amounts of work that branches, regions and the centre put into this.

“This level of participation did not happen by accident; it is the culmination of months of work. Huge thanks to all those who have played a part in this massive effort.”

Referencing reports that the government is considering the possibility of a nurse only pay spine she said: “Conference, I am a nurse – and I’m proud of it. But let me tell you now, I want nothing to do with this divisive nonsense!”

“In UNISON we value the role played by everyone in the NHS team. This is where we as a union derive our strength – and it is what makes the NHS tick. So, I hope we will send out a strong and united message in the coming days that the NHS cannot be picked apart in this way.

“We are ‘One Team’ and that is how it must stay.”

Moving onto issues of devolution, she highlighted that even with different approaches from governments in each of the four nations they remain reliant on Westminster for the size of the spending envelopes they have at their disposal.

She said: “It is essential we maintain our ability to leverage the power of the whole union when we are pursuing campaigns in each of the four nations. This week we must ensure that we make clear to governments across the UK that no UNISON members should ever be left behind – when it comes to pay, or anything else.”

The article ‘This deal puts money in members pay packets – and they voted decisively to accept it’ first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Powerful anti-racism debate opens UNISON health conference

UNISON’s national health conference opened in Bournemouth today (Monday) with a passionate debate on the continuing fight against racism in the NHS.

The motion ‘Challenging racism in the NHS’, noted that data from the NHS Workforce Race Equalities Standard (WRES) continues to show that higher levels of Black workers are experiencing harassment, bullying and abuse from staff and patients, than their white colleagues.

Black workers also have less access to training and career opportunities than white workers, and are more likely to be disciplined.

As one delegate told the conference: “Racism is rife in the NHS.”

Marking the fact that 2023 is UNISON’s Year of the Black Worker, the delegates discussed the ways in which they can tackle such institutional racism.

Proposing the motion, Peter Oates of Eastern region (pictured below) said: “Challenging racism is front and centre of all our work as activists. We see racism happening in all large employers, and it will continue where it’s not challenged. So we have to keep speaking up.

“It’s everyone’s responsibility to challenge racism, it’s not only on the shoulders of our Black colleagues and Black activists, who live the experience.”

Mr Oates spoke of his region’s anti-racism charter, which has been signed by employers across the region and which, combined with WRES data, empowers activists in their anti-racist work.

Adekunle Akinole from Somerset Health (main picture) also spoke of the importance for everyone not to turn a blind eye when witnessing racism in their workplaces.

“As a society we need to speak up when we witness these issues. We must know that those who choose to remain silent have only sided with the oppressor. What we remember are not only the words and actions of our enemies, but the silence and inaction of our friends and colleagues.”

Annette Heslop of UNISON’s national Black members committee (pictured below), said that people in management roles were a big part of the problem.

“When our Black workers are experiencing racism, managers are not seeing it as such – managers who do know what racism means, and don’t care or want to know.”

That’s why, she said, anti-racism training needed to be extended to HR departments and all managers.

Wilma Brown, chair of the health service group executive, told the delegates: “I’m proud that this motion is opening our conference, because fighting for racial equality is an important part of our union.

“If you are Black and working in the NHS you have a tougher time from patients, colleagues and managers. Black workers are a third more likely to suffer harassment from the public, more than 50% more likely to face disciplinary procedures.

“It’s essential we all fight to make their working lives better. We can’t leave it to Black members and Black activists. We are one team against racism, just as we are one team for patient care and one team fighting for the future of the NHS.”

Conference called on the health service group executive (HSGE) to:

continue to promote its race for equality campaign across all health branches and encourage all regional health committees to monitor and evaluate branch work;
promote and develop training for health branches geared towards challenging racism in the NHS and tackling racist behaviour in the workplace from patients, the public or staff;
work through partnership structures and through direct engagement with Westminster and the devolved governments to influence NHS race equality strategies/plans and push for greater employer accountability where racism disparities persist.

COVID and racism

A further motion outlined how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed racial discrimination in the health service. For example, nearly half of Black NHS staff worked in COVID roles compared to less than a third of all staff.

Voting in favour of that motion, delegates called on the HSGE to continue to:

promote zero tolerance of race discrimination in the NHS and encourage branches to engage with the Race for Equality and One Team campaigns;
explore how Black members can gain equal access to career development, training and development opportunities in the NHS;
encourage Black members to become active in UNISON regional and national health committees, to ensure the union is reflective of the wider membership in the NHS;
explore holding a webinar on challenging racism in the NHS, as part of its Year of the Black Worker in 2023.

Images: Jess Hurd

The article Powerful anti-racism debate opens UNISON health conference first appeared on the UNISON National site.