Blog: Celebrating our local government champions

It’s a tough time working in local government right now. UNISON members working in councils and schools are telling me their jobs are becoming more and more difficult every day.

Council funding – slashed every year for the past decade – is putting pressure on vital services. And an ever-decreasing number of staff means the ones left are worn out.

Yet council and school workers continue with their hard work to keep our communities together – supporting our most vulnerable and providing precious support where it’s needed most.

Their many hours of hard work are often taken for granted. Mostly by politicians, sometimes by the public, but never by UNISON.

This Wednesday, we are holding our annual local government Champions Day. It’s an opportunity for us to celebrate our everyday heroes of local government, and to recognise the incredible work they do.

Workplaces across the country will be holding events and activities to appreciate local government staff and showcase just how much we rely on them.

However your workplace is celebrating, UNISON celebrates with you, and I want to say a huge thank you and well done.

Local government staff always deserve recognition, and I’m proud to lead a union that dedicates time to recognising their worth.

The article Blog: Celebrating our local government champions first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Blog: Celebrating our local government champions

It’s a tough time working in local government right now. UNISON members working in councils and schools are telling me their jobs are becoming more and more difficult every day.

Council funding – slashed every year for the past decade – is putting pressure on vital services. And an ever-decreasing number of staff means the ones left are worn out.

Yet council and school workers continue with their hard work to keep our communities together – supporting our most vulnerable and providing precious support where it’s needed most.

Their many hours of hard work are often taken for granted. Mostly by politicians, sometimes by the public, but never by UNISON.

This Wednesday, we are holding our annual local government Champions Day. It’s an opportunity for us to celebrate our everyday heroes of local government, and to recognise the incredible work they do.

Workplaces across the country will be holding events and activities to appreciate local government staff and showcase just how much we rely on them.

However your workplace is celebrating, UNISON celebrates with you, and I want to say a huge thank you and well done.

Local government staff always deserve recognition, and I’m proud to lead a union that dedicates time to recognising their worth.

The article Blog: Celebrating our local government champions first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Christopher Eccleston celebrates UNISON’s Champions Day

The first UNISON Champions Day is being held today, 7 December, to celebrate and defend local government workers for the everyday heroes they are and extend the work of the union’s Local Service Champions campaign.

Up and down the country, workplaces will be holding coffee mornings, profiling the work of their champions in local news, and inviting MPs to events to celebrate and raise the profile of local government workers.

For the day, UNISON has released a special film of last year’s Local Service Champions award winner, Paddy Toner, a rehabilitation worker from Halton, being interviewed by British film, TV and stage star Christopher Eccleston.

The actor, of Doctor Who and Our Friends in the North fame, is passionate about the work that public service workers do and was keen to shine a light on the vital impact of these workers, which has been overlooked for so long.

In the interview, Paddy and Christopher talk about what rehabilitation workers do, the value of public services in local communities and the struggles that many councils are facing with the looming threat of further budget cuts after 12 years of austerity.

Christopher Eccleston

Watch the video here

UNISON is encouraging branches, members and the public to get involved. Even if it’s too late to organise or go along to events in your area, you can still get involved online by posting your support on social media using the hashtag #ChampionsDay.

Meanwhile, nominations for the Local Service Champion awards 2023 also opened today – now is the chance to thank someone working in authority services who has really made a difference in their role so why not nominate an everyday hero you feel deserves to win.

Submit your nominations here

The article Christopher Eccleston celebrates UNISON’s Champions Day first appeared on the UNISON National site.