Category: South West

Health workers in South West celebrate double lump-sum victory

Hundreds of hospital workers in the South West are celebrating victory after NHS and Sodexo respectively committed to paying the lump sum bonuses due to them.

The one-off payment, part of a deal agreed for all staff on NHS contracts and Agenda for Change, is worth at least £1,655 for full-time health workers.

Wiltshire

Staff at Wiltshire’s six community hospitals had taken two days of strike action (pictured above) over the company’s previous refusal to honour the payment, already given to health workers employed directly by the NHS in June 2022.

Wiltshire Health and Care initially said it could not afford to pay the workers. After pressure from UNISON members, Wiltshire Health and Care successfully applied for funding from the Department of Health and Social Care.

Wiltshire Health and Care is a Limited Liability Partnership, created in 2014 by three NHS trusts – Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust.

North Devon

In North Devon, staff employed by Sodexo took two days of strike action (pictured below) in February over the company’s previous refusal to honour the payment.

Sodexo workers on a picket line, holding purple UNISON flags

Sodexo workers picketing in North Devon

In response, Sodexo offered to pay 80% of the sum while they awaited news on their application to the Department of Health and Social Care for the remaining 20%. UNISON members voted to suspend planned action for March and accepted their offer.

Sodexo’s successful application to the Department of Health and Social Care now means that over 300 workers will receive the final 20% of the lump sum in their April pay packet.

UNISON South West regional secretary Kerry Baigent said: “This is a victory for hundreds of low-paid health workers. These workers shouldn’t have had to go on strike and lose money to win the cash that’s rightfully theirs.

Speaking of the victory in Wiltshire, Ms Baigent said: “The three Trusts should have done more to ensure that Wiltshire Health and Care workers received the lump sum at the same time as their directly employed staff. Health workers employed by private firms shouldn’t be treated less favourably or earn less an hour only because they no longer work for the NHS.”

In regard to workers in North Devon, she said: “Hundreds of staff standing on the picket line created pressure that focused the minds of Sodexo executives and resulted in staff accepting an offer for 80% of the lump sum. Now, after this decision, they’ll be getting 100%.

“But Sodexo generates huge profits and had the ability to pay its staff all along. It could have easily avoided these strikes.

“In 2025, Sodexo’s contract for the service is up for renewal. It’s time our members are brought back in house alongside their NHS colleagues where they belong.”

The article Health workers in South West celebrate double lump-sum victory first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Health workers in South West celebrate double lump-sum victory

Hundreds of hospital workers in the South West are celebrating victory after NHS and Sodexo respectively committed to paying the lump sum bonuses due to them.

The one-off payment, part of a deal agreed for all staff on NHS contracts and Agenda for Change, is worth at least £1,655 for full-time health workers.

Wiltshire

Staff at Wiltshire’s six community hospitals had taken two days of strike action (pictured above) over the company’s previous refusal to honour the payment, already given to health workers employed directly by the NHS in June 2022.

Wiltshire Health and Care initially said it could not afford to pay the workers. After pressure from UNISON members, Wiltshire Health and Care successfully applied for funding from the Department of Health and Social Care.

Wiltshire Health and Care is a Limited Liability Partnership, created in 2014 by three NHS trusts – Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust.

North Devon

In North Devon, staff employed by Sodexo took two days of strike action (pictured below) in February over the company’s previous refusal to honour the payment.

Sodexo workers on a picket line, holding purple UNISON flags

Sodexo workers picketing in North Devon

In response, Sodexo offered to pay 80% of the sum while they awaited news on their application to the Department of Health and Social Care for the remaining 20%. UNISON members voted to suspend planned action for March and accepted their offer.

Sodexo’s successful application to the Department of Health and Social Care now means that over 300 workers will receive the final 20% of the lump sum in their April pay packet.

UNISON South West regional secretary Kerry Baigent said: “This is a victory for hundreds of low-paid health workers. These workers shouldn’t have had to go on strike and lose money to win the cash that’s rightfully theirs.

Speaking of the victory in Wiltshire, Ms Baigent said: “The three Trusts should have done more to ensure that Wiltshire Health and Care workers received the lump sum at the same time as their directly employed staff. Health workers employed by private firms shouldn’t be treated less favourably or earn less an hour only because they no longer work for the NHS.”

In regard to workers in North Devon, she said: “Hundreds of staff standing on the picket line created pressure that focused the minds of Sodexo executives and resulted in staff accepting an offer for 80% of the lump sum. Now, after this decision, they’ll be getting 100%.

“But Sodexo generates huge profits and had the ability to pay its staff all along. It could have easily avoided these strikes.

“In 2025, Sodexo’s contract for the service is up for renewal. It’s time our members are brought back in house alongside their NHS colleagues where they belong.”

The article Health workers in South West celebrate double lump-sum victory first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON appoints new regional secretary in the South West

Kerry Baigent has been appointed as the new regional secretary for UNISON in the South West, the union has announced today (Friday).

She started in her new role this week and takes over from Joanne Kaye, who retired earlier this year.

Kerry joined UNISON in 2014, initially working with the union’s health, local government and university branches in the Plymouth and Exeter areas. For the last five years, she has been managing UNISON’s Dorset and Somerset teams.

Prior to joining UNISON, Kerry worked as a firefighter for 21 years, and was also active in the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).

She was the first female firefighter at Cambridge fire station and became head of the FBU branch there in 1994.

When firefighters went on strike in 2002/3 and 2014, Kerry led the dispute across Cambridgeshire. She was also national secretary to the FBU women’s committee for 15 years and worked hard to advance the position of women throughout the fire service.

Commenting on her appointment to the top UNISON job in the South West, Kerry Baigent said: “I am honoured to have been appointed and look forward to tackling the many challenges that lie ahead. Winning a better deal for public services in the region and for the dedicated public servants that run them is top of my list.

“That includes supporting people through the cost-of-living crisis and getting healthcare assistants in the NHS on to the salary grade that better reflects the jobs they do. As well as pushing for fairer wages for low-paid care staff, and campaigning for a properly functioning care system across the region.

“UNISON would always rather work with local employers to improve public services and the lives of the workers providing them. But where this proves impossible, sometimes the only option is to take strike action, as will be the case at Dorset disability charity Livability early next month.”

Notes to editors:
– Pictures of Kerry are available on request.
– 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:    
Oliver Foster-Burnell M: 07432 150532 E: o.foster-burnell@unison.co.uk
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk

The article UNISON appoints new regional secretary in the South West first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON appoints new regional secretary in the South West

Kerry Baigent has been appointed as the new regional secretary for UNISON in the South West, the union has announced today (Friday).

She started in her new role this week and takes over from Joanne Kaye, who retired earlier this year.

Kerry joined UNISON in 2014, initially working with the union’s health, local government and university branches in the Plymouth and Exeter areas. For the last five years, she has been managing UNISON’s Dorset and Somerset teams.

Prior to joining UNISON, Kerry worked as a firefighter for 21 years, and was also active in the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).

She was the first female firefighter at Cambridge fire station and became head of the FBU branch there in 1994.

When firefighters went on strike in 2002/3 and 2014, Kerry led the dispute across Cambridgeshire. She was also national secretary to the FBU women’s committee for 15 years and worked hard to advance the position of women throughout the fire service.

Commenting on her appointment to the top UNISON job in the South West, Kerry Baigent said: “I am honoured to have been appointed and look forward to tackling the many challenges that lie ahead. Winning a better deal for public services in the region and for the dedicated public servants that run them is top of my list.

“That includes supporting people through the cost-of-living crisis and getting healthcare assistants in the NHS on to the salary grade that better reflects the jobs they do. As well as pushing for fairer wages for low-paid care staff, and campaigning for a properly functioning care system across the region.

“UNISON would always rather work with local employers to improve public services and the lives of the workers providing them. But where this proves impossible, sometimes the only option is to take strike action, as will be the case at Dorset disability charity Livability early next month.”

Notes to editors:
– Pictures of Kerry are available on request.
– 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:    
Oliver Foster-Burnell M: 07432 150532 E: o.foster-burnell@unison.co.uk
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk

The article UNISON appoints new regional secretary in the South West first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Through sun and rain – on the picket lines in Bristol

After an extraordinary day across England, with ambulance workers in five regions taking action on pay and highlighting the crisis in the NHS, it’s time to look back on the day’s events.

Here is a selection of photographs from two pickets in Bristol, at Lansdown Road and Croydon Street, taken by Nigel Goldsmith.

Email ambulance striker with UNISON placard saying 'Put pay right'

Two women on a picket line with a dog, and UNISON banners in the background.

Picket with UNISON flag waving to an ambulance passing by

Pickets with an ambulance

Two pickets, wrapped up against the rain, with UNISON flags, smiling

Two female pickets with umbrellas, smiling

Pickets in the rain, by a road

Two pickets, with placard and flag, waving at a passing car, which is blurred by its speed

Two male pickets with placard and flag

Pickets with two ambulances behind them, in the rain

The article Through sun and rain – on the picket lines in Bristol first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Devon Partnership NHS Trust signs UNISON’s apprenticeships charter

Devon Partnership NHS Trust has become the latest employer, and first in the South West, to sign up to UNISON’s apprenticeship charter.

The charter highlights that well-funded, high-quality apprenticeships leading to a meaningful job make an important contribution in addressing skills gaps and tackling unemployment.

UNISON representative Caroline Emery said: “We have been working towards this for the past two years.

“We are proud to have been the first South West branch to get to this point and we hope our work can be a model for future agreements in the region.”

Under the charter, the trust has pledged to do everything it can to grant apprentices’ rights to an employment contract and a job offer once their apprenticeship is complete.

It also calls for apprenticeships to be developed jointly by employers, trade unions, training providers, and apprentices.

Lead for apprenticeships in Devon Partnership Trust Paul Blackmore said: “We’re proud to be the first NHS Trust in the South West to partner with UNISON in signing the charter. Working together with UNISON to offer the promises of the charter will support a positive future for the trust.”

Devon Partnership Trust’s head of education and training Dr Floraidh Rolf added: ”Apprentices are an amazing and integral part of our trust’s workforce and its future.

“The programme offers lots of opportunities to both recruit and retain employees by enabling new staff to join and existing staff to up-skill.”

UNISON regional learning & development organiser Natalie Chadwick said: “After completing an apprenticeship myself this year, I know how this charter will enable employees to feel valued while building their confidence and skills and empower them at work.

“Hopefully more NHS trusts will see the benefit and want to sign UNISON’s Apprenticeship Charter.”

 

The article Devon Partnership NHS Trust signs UNISON’s apprenticeships charter first appeared on the UNISON National site.