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.

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.

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.

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.

Community conference told: ‘You are the stewards of the New Deal’

UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards opened the union’s national community conference in Chester on Saturday before introducing shadow deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, who gave a speech to delegates before taking questions.

Mr Richards took aim at the recent Conservative government budget calling it “fantasy policy making, and a low piece of political theatre”.

“What did it offer to support the work that you or our members do? What about housing – an issue seen as the number one priority by younger workers?

“Where were the provisions to support people struggling with rapidly rising rents? Where were the big plans to address the shortage of new homes?

“In one of the richest countries in the world, how can this government ignore the fact that so many people have nowhere to live and no money to spend?”

And he continued: “Looking ahead, this year will be dominated by the continuing collapse of the government in the lead up to the general election.

“As a union, we aren’t starry eyed – we are a worker’s organisation and our aims and objectives are to improve work and pay and conditions. This won’t change no matter which political part is in power in whichever UK country.”

Hope for a different future

Mr Richards also spoke of being introduced to the shadow deputy prime minister while she was an activist in the union. He continued: “Angela’s heart and soul are in the trade union movement – she’s UNISON through and through and we’re very lucky to have her in that role.

“Importantly, she represents working class interests in parliament, and the Tories know this. They can’t stand a successful working-class woman – and there are far too few people with working-class backgrounds in parliament nowadays.”

He continued: “Conference, we need people Like Angela in government, and we need a government that listens to working people and trade unions.

“After more than a decade of mismanagement, austerity and public services cuts – this country deserves better – Angela and a new Labour government in Westminster offer hope for a different future.

Jon Richards speaks from the podium at UNISON's national community conference 2024

Jon Richards

Angela Rayner – raised in UNISON

Ms Rayner then spoke to delegates, saying how she was “born in Stockport, but raised in UNISON” and telling delegates of her journey from starting as a young member in the union.

Moving on to the upcoming general election, which must be held by January 2025, she took aim at the Conservative Party’s record in power: “The truth is they’ve had 14 years and the one question we have to ask ourselves is: do you feel better off?

“After 14 years, do you think your children have better opportunities? Do you think the services you provide are better and well-resourced compared to 14 years ago? No.

“The absolute chaos we’ve had under the Conservatives – especially during the last five to six years. They’d like you to think it’s the war in Ukraine or it’s the pandemic, but the truth is – globally, we’ve become a laughing stock.”

She noted the current prime minister’s commitment to ‘max out’ the UK’s oil and gas reserves as he announced more North Sea drilling last year, saying: “Rishi Sunak is looking backwards to fossil fuels instead of looking forward like Labour are with the Green New Deal – jobs for the future, technology for the future, aspirations for our children.”

She continued: “I think we’re at a crossroads now. We can choose to invest in the people of this country, to invest in our public services, to grow the economy – or we can choose looking backwards and more managed decline. That’s not what I want for my children or my grandchildren. That’s not what I want for you.”

Stewards of the New Deal

Speaking about the role unions play in informing Labour policy and holding the party to account, she said: “During this election, you are the stewards of the New Deal for working people. For the 1.5m homes that I’m going to make sure Labour builds, including council and social homes. Because we need social housing in this country.

“We need better terms and conditions. We need strong collective bargaining and we need to repeal anti trade union legislation that the Tories brought in.

“So, while we’re in these rooms, we should keep pushing. We should set our bar really, really high and we should keep pushing to make sure we do better. But to our members, to our friends and family, to our neighbours, we have to tell them what our movement’s success are.

“The last Labour government gave me Sure Start, the Labour government before gave me the opportunity to have a council house. The Open University, free education, the welfare state, the NHS – it was Labour governments that brought the changes.

“We have to explain to people that our movement isn’t perfect, but five more years of the Tories will decimate our communities.”

Concluding her speech, she noted that, regardless of polling, Labour won’t be taking anything for granted in the election run-in, but said: “If I’m lucky enough to become your deputy prime minister, you will see your fingerprints all over the next Labour government because I know some things are bigger than individual aspiration.

“Our movement is bigger than the sum of its parts and what we will achieve together will set us on course to give our children and grandchildren the future that they deserve.”

The article Community conference told: ‘You are the stewards of the New Deal’ first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Community conference told: ‘You are the stewards of the New Deal’

UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards opened the union’s national community conference in Chester on Saturday before introducing shadow deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, who gave a speech to delegates before taking questions.

Mr Richards took aim at the recent Conservative government budget calling it “fantasy policy making, and a low piece of political theatre”.

“What did it offer to support the work that you or our members do? What about housing – an issue seen as the number one priority by younger workers?

“Where were the provisions to support people struggling with rapidly rising rents? Where were the big plans to address the shortage of new homes?

“In one of the richest countries in the world, how can this government ignore the fact that so many people have nowhere to live and no money to spend?”

And he continued: “Looking ahead, this year will be dominated by the continuing collapse of the government in the lead up to the general election.

“As a union, we aren’t starry eyed – we are a worker’s organisation and our aims and objectives are to improve work and pay and conditions. This won’t change no matter which political part is in power in whichever UK country.”

Hope for a different future

Mr Richards also spoke of being introduced to the shadow deputy prime minister while she was an activist in the union. He continued: “Angela’s heart and soul are in the trade union movement – she’s UNISON through and through and we’re very lucky to have her in that role.

“Importantly, she represents working class interests in parliament, and the Tories know this. They can’t stand a successful working-class woman – and there are far too few people with working-class backgrounds in parliament nowadays.”

He continued: “Conference, we need people Like Angela in government, and we need a government that listens to working people and trade unions.

“After more than a decade of mismanagement, austerity and public services cuts – this country deserves better – Angela and a new Labour government in Westminster offer hope for a different future.

Jon Richards speaks from the podium at UNISON's national community conference 2024

Jon Richards

Angela Rayner – raised in UNISON

Ms Rayner then spoke to delegates, saying how she was “born in Stockport, but raised in UNISON” and telling delegates of her journey from starting as a young member in the union.

Moving on to the upcoming general election, which must be held by January 2025, she took aim at the Conservative Party’s record in power: “The truth is they’ve had 14 years and the one question we have to ask ourselves is: do you feel better off?

“After 14 years, do you think your children have better opportunities? Do you think the services you provide are better and well-resourced compared to 14 years ago? No.

“The absolute chaos we’ve had under the Conservatives – especially during the last five to six years. They’d like you to think it’s the war in Ukraine or it’s the pandemic, but the truth is – globally, we’ve become a laughing stock.”

She noted the current prime minister’s commitment to ‘max out’ the UK’s oil and gas reserves as he announced more North Sea drilling last year, saying: “Rishi Sunak is looking backwards to fossil fuels instead of looking forward like Labour are with the Green New Deal – jobs for the future, technology for the future, aspirations for our children.”

She continued: “I think we’re at a crossroads now. We can choose to invest in the people of this country, to invest in our public services, to grow the economy – or we can choose looking backwards and more managed decline. That’s not what I want for my children or my grandchildren. That’s not what I want for you.”

Stewards of the New Deal

Speaking about the role unions play in informing Labour policy and holding the party to account, she said: “During this election, you are the stewards of the New Deal for working people. For the 1.5m homes that I’m going to make sure Labour builds, including council and social homes. Because we need social housing in this country.

“We need better terms and conditions. We need strong collective bargaining and we need to repeal anti trade union legislation that the Tories brought in.

“So, while we’re in these rooms, we should keep pushing. We should set our bar really, really high and we should keep pushing to make sure we do better. But to our members, to our friends and family, to our neighbours, we have to tell them what our movement’s success are.

“The last Labour government gave me Sure Start, the Labour government before gave me the opportunity to have a council house. The Open University, free education, the welfare state, the NHS – it was Labour governments that brought the changes.

“We have to explain to people that our movement isn’t perfect, but five more years of the Tories will decimate our communities.”

Concluding her speech, she noted that, regardless of polling, Labour won’t be taking anything for granted in the election run-in, but said: “If I’m lucky enough to become your deputy prime minister, you will see your fingerprints all over the next Labour government because I know some things are bigger than individual aspiration.

“Our movement is bigger than the sum of its parts and what we will achieve together will set us on course to give our children and grandchildren the future that they deserve.”

The article Community conference told: ‘You are the stewards of the New Deal’ first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Violence in schools is no laughing matter

Commenting on remarks made by education secretary Gillian Keegan today (Friday) about ‘punching’ Ofsted inspectors, UNISON head of education Mike Short said:

“Clearly there’s much that can and should be improved about the way Ofsted inspections are carried out. But to suggest punching people is an appropriate reaction is not becoming of a government minister.

“Making light of violence when staff in schools are increasingly likely to face assaults is in very poor taste. Ofsted inspectors are already dealing with a great deal of hostility while they work. So much for showing respect.”

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

The article Violence in schools is no laughing matter first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Violence in schools is no laughing matter

Commenting on remarks made by education secretary Gillian Keegan today (Friday) about ‘punching’ Ofsted inspectors, UNISON head of education Mike Short said:

“Clearly there’s much that can and should be improved about the way Ofsted inspections are carried out. But to suggest punching people is an appropriate reaction is not becoming of a government minister.

“Making light of violence when staff in schools are increasingly likely to face assaults is in very poor taste. Ofsted inspectors are already dealing with a great deal of hostility while they work. So much for showing respect.”

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

The article Violence in schools is no laughing matter first appeared on the UNISON National site.