UNISON urges employers to implement mpox guidance

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed the first UK case of the new clade 1b mpox strain. UNISON is urging employers to engage with branches and reps to ensure guidance is being implemented.

On 30 October, the UKHSA announced that the first case the new clade 1b mpox strain had been detected. This new strain differs from the clade 2 mpox cases that were circulating at low levels in the UK since 2022. Clade 1b mpox has shown an increased capacity to spread more easily within communities.

Although the UKHSA has said the risk to the UK population remains low, it is crucial employers continue to uphold the latest public health guidance.

Employers must protect their staff and the public, by implementing the measures outlined in the NHS National infection prevention and control manuals (NIPCM) for each nation.

Anyone who comes into close contact with someone who has mpox could potentially get the virus. The clade 2 mpox strain is known to spread through close, skin-to-skin contact and when someone touches fabrics – such as clothing, bedding, or towels – that have been used by someone with the virus.

The new clade 1b stain is also believed to be able to be spread through close respiratory transmission and not restricted to close personal contact.

Therefore, appropriate precautions should be taken when in contact with someone showing symptoms of mpox. It is essential that sufficient workplace health and safety measures are upheld, employers engage with health and safety reps, and all frontline staff are equipped with the support, guidance and tools they need.

UNISON has produced an mpox guide for branches to support their discussions with employers to ensure that appropriate support, guidance, PPE provision and sick pay arrangements are put in place.

The first symptoms of mpox include:

  • a high temperature
  • a headache
  • muscle aches
  • backache
  • swollen glands
  • shivering (chills)
  • exhaustion
  • joint pain.

A rash usually appears one to five days after the first symptoms. The rash often begins on the face, then spreads to other parts of the body.

The article UNISON urges employers to implement mpox guidance first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON urges employers to implement mpox guidance

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed the first UK case of the new clade 1b mpox strain. UNISON is urging employers to engage with branches and reps to ensure guidance is being implemented.

On 30 October, the UKHSA announced that the first case the new clade 1b mpox strain had been detected. This new strain differs from the clade 2 mpox cases that were circulating at low levels in the UK since 2022. Clade 1b mpox has shown an increased capacity to spread more easily within communities.

Although the UKHSA has said the risk to the UK population remains low, it is crucial employers continue to uphold the latest public health guidance.

Employers must protect their staff and the public, by implementing the measures outlined in the NHS National infection prevention and control manuals (NIPCM) for each nation.

Anyone who comes into close contact with someone who has mpox could potentially get the virus. The clade 2 mpox strain is known to spread through close, skin-to-skin contact and when someone touches fabrics – such as clothing, bedding, or towels – that have been used by someone with the virus.

The new clade 1b stain is also believed to be able to be spread through close respiratory transmission and not restricted to close personal contact.

Therefore, appropriate precautions should be taken when in contact with someone showing symptoms of mpox. It is essential that sufficient workplace health and safety measures are upheld, employers engage with health and safety reps, and all frontline staff are equipped with the support, guidance and tools they need.

UNISON has produced an mpox guide for branches to support their discussions with employers to ensure that appropriate support, guidance, PPE provision and sick pay arrangements are put in place.

The first symptoms of mpox include:

  • a high temperature
  • a headache
  • muscle aches
  • backache
  • swollen glands
  • shivering (chills)
  • exhaustion
  • joint pain.

A rash usually appears one to five days after the first symptoms. The rash often begins on the face, then spreads to other parts of the body.

The article UNISON urges employers to implement mpox guidance first appeared on the UNISON National site.

It’s almost here – a decade of Stars

On Friday 29 November, join people across the UK celebrating the vital Stars in Our Schools – support staff.

For 10 years now, UNISON has held a celebration day each year to raise the profile of the vital role that school support staff play. Support staff are caterers, admin staff, finance officers, teaching assistants, librarians, ICT technicians and more.

You can read more about the fundamental role they play in schools here:

Without support staff, there’d be no school

But don’t just take our word for it listen to famous faces Ben Miller, and Iwan Thomas’s messages of support ahead of this year’s celebration.

Ben Miller

Iwan Thomas

Support our Stars

From supportive stars to supporting our Stars, there are loads of ways for you to get involved this year. In particular, if you work in a school, visit the page below to find out how to get involved on the day.

Stars – how to get involved

But everyone can get involved, no matter where they work. Make use of the tenth anniversary resources or see what’s happening and add your voice on socials with #starsinourschools 

Our full range of resources

Nominate your brightest Stars

As well as being a celebration of all support staff in schools, Stars in Our Schools marks an opportunity to highlight your brightest stars. That special member of support staff who you know. The one who goes above and beyond to make your – our your children’s school such a special place.

Nominate them by 29 November. You’ll be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a shopping gift card – £25 for the nominator and an increased prize of £100 for the winning star.

Nominate your Star

Furthermore this year, as part of the 10-year anniversary, during the week itself (25-29 November), UNISON members will be able to take part in a competition to win a three-night stay at the Croyde Bay. Further details will be announced in due course.

Early Years Stars

And don’t forget, Stars aren’t just in our schools, but in our early years settings as well. Find out more about Early Years Stars and how we’re celebrating them here:

Early Years Stars

So, this Friday 29 November, show your support for 10 years of our and Schools Stars – whether you do something in your schools, early years settings, your workplaces or on socials – get involved!

The article It’s almost here – a decade of Stars first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Reserved (low pay) seat threshold for 2025

UNISON’s principles of proportionality and fair representation mean that some seats on elected bodies are reserved for women and low-paid members, so that the make-up fairly represents the wider union. This includes the national executive council (NEC).

The definition of low-paid reflects the median gross weekly earnings for all jobs – full time or part time – and is revised each year.

The median gross weekly earnings figure for 2024 has been calculated in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings at £613.30, which represents a 6.7% increase on 2023.

This means that the cut-off wage for election to reserved (low pay) seats in the union rises to £13.56 an hour.

The article Reserved (low pay) seat threshold for 2025 first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Reserved (low pay) seat threshold for 2025

UNISON’s principles of proportionality and fair representation mean that some seats on elected bodies are reserved for women and low-paid members, so that the make-up fairly represents the wider union. This includes the national executive council (NEC).

The definition of low-paid reflects the median gross weekly earnings for all jobs – full time or part time – and is revised each year.

The median gross weekly earnings figure for 2024 has been calculated in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings at £613.30, which represents a 6.7% increase on 2023.

This means that the cut-off wage for election to reserved (low pay) seats in the union rises to £13.56 an hour.

The article Reserved (low pay) seat threshold for 2025 first appeared on the UNISON National site.

The budget: A rejection of austerity and a move toward growth

Photo: ZUMA Press Inc/Alamy Stock Photo
What does the autumn budget mean for you and public services?

Last Wednesday was a historic moment. When Rachel Reeves stood up in the House of Commons, she was not just delivering Labour’s first budget in 14 years, but becoming the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer to do so in our country’s history.

It was also historic because it set a new direction for the UK’s ailing economy – rejecting austerity and going instead for growth and investment.

Let’s break down what it means for UNISON members.

Will it help tackle cost of living pressures?

The minimum wage has been raised significantly. One of the government’s pledges was to require the Low Pay Commission to take the cost of living into account when setting the rate and begin to close the gap between the age bands. In her budget, Ms Reeves said the national living wage would rise by 6.7% to £12.21. For young workers aged between 18 and 20, it rises even faster, from £8.60 to £10.

The budget documentation reported that the pay review body process had started in September, three months earlier than for 2024/25 as a step toward ensuring public sector workers receive more timely pay awards.

The freeze on fuel duty and the 5p cut were extended by a further year. The state pension was increased by £470 a year. And a Fair Repayment Rate has been introduced, reducing Universal Credit deductions – this will mean 1.2 million of the poorest households will benefit by an average of £420 a year.

What’s happening with taxes?

The headline announcement was an increase in employer National Insurance contributions. While some have criticised this move, it represents an honest approach to funding our vital public services. Rather than hiding behind stealth taxes or making unfunded promises, the chancellor has made the tough but necessary choice to ask those with the broadest shoulders to contribute more.

The budget also closes tax loopholes around inheritance tax reliefs and increases Capital Gains Tax on the wealthy, while protecting working people from direct tax rises. This is about creating a fairer tax system where everyone pays their fair share.

The chancellor also announced that the freeze on uprating tax thresholds in line with inflation, introduced by the Tories, will end in 2028.

What about public services?

After 14 years of underinvestment, this budget finally provides the investment our public services desperately need. The £44 billion increase in day-to-day spending represents the biggest boost to public services since 2000, with significant funding for the NHS, schools, and local councils.

This means more resources to tackle NHS waiting lists, repair crumbling school buildings and ensure councils can deliver vital local services. The £1 billion extension of the Household Support Fund will also help councils support vulnerable residents through the cost-of-living crisis.

The devolved governments will receive an additional £6.6 billion through the operation of the Barnett formula. This includes £3.4 billion for the Scottish government, £1.7 for the Welsh government and £1.5 billion for the Northern Ireland Executive.

Will this help grow the economy?

Unlike the failed experiments with unfunded tax cuts of previous governments, this budget takes a grown-up approach to economic growth. By investing in our public services and infrastructure, it lays the foundations for sustainable growth.

The £100 billion boost to public investment over five years will help modernise our infrastructure and support the transition to clean energy. Crucially, this investment in our future is being done responsibly within new fiscal rules. This means that alongside the increases in spending on day-to-day public services, there is money available for new energy infrastructure, railways and housing.

The chancellor has said there will be further announcements over coming weeks on additional measures that will help grow the economy. Later this month, she will be giving a speech about how pension funds can used to support additional investment in the UK economy.

Is there anything to be concerned about?

While this budget represents real progress, there’s still more to do. The government needs to go further on reforming the social care system and ensuring public sector workers are properly rewarded for their vital work.

The projected slow growth in living standards, while still an improvement on the last government, also shows the scale of the economic challenges the Labour government has inherited.

However, this budget marks a clear break from the past 14 years of austerity and chaos. Instead of quick fixes and unfunded promises, it provides an honest assessment of what’s needed to restore our public services and build a fairer economy.

With proper investment in public services, protection for the most vulnerable, and asking those with the most to contribute their fair share, this budget shows how different choices can lead to better outcomes for everyone. It’s a grown-up approach that puts the foundations in place for a stronger, fairer country.

The message is clear – good public services require proper funding, and this budget finally begins to deliver the investment needed after years of decline. While there’s more work to do, it represents a welcome reset after 14 years of failed policies that left our public services in tatters.

The article The budget: A rejection of austerity and a move toward growth first appeared on the UNISON National site.

The budget: A rejection of austerity and a move toward growth

Photo: ZUMA Press Inc/Alamy Stock Photo
What does the autumn budget mean for you and public services?

Last Wednesday was a historic moment. When Rachel Reeves stood up in the House of Commons, she was not just delivering Labour’s first budget in 14 years, but becoming the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer to do so in our country’s history.

It was also historic because it set a new direction for the UK’s ailing economy – rejecting austerity and going instead for growth and investment.

Let’s break down what it means for UNISON members.

Will it help tackle cost of living pressures?

The minimum wage has been raised significantly. One of the government’s pledges was to require the Low Pay Commission to take the cost of living into account when setting the rate and begin to close the gap between the age bands. In her budget, Ms Reeves said the national living wage would rise by 6.7% to £12.21. For young workers aged between 18 and 20, it rises even faster, from £8.60 to £10.

The budget documentation reported that the pay review body process had started in September, three months earlier than for 2024/25 as a step toward ensuring public sector workers receive more timely pay awards.

The freeze on fuel duty and the 5p cut were extended by a further year. The state pension was increased by £470 a year. And a Fair Repayment Rate has been introduced, reducing Universal Credit deductions – this will mean 1.2 million of the poorest households will benefit by an average of £420 a year.

What’s happening with taxes?

The headline announcement was an increase in employer National Insurance contributions. While some have criticised this move, it represents an honest approach to funding our vital public services. Rather than hiding behind stealth taxes or making unfunded promises, the chancellor has made the tough but necessary choice to ask those with the broadest shoulders to contribute more.

The budget also closes tax loopholes around inheritance tax reliefs and increases Capital Gains Tax on the wealthy, while protecting working people from direct tax rises. This is about creating a fairer tax system where everyone pays their fair share.

The chancellor also announced that the freeze on uprating tax thresholds in line with inflation, introduced by the Tories, will end in 2028.

What about public services?

After 14 years of underinvestment, this budget finally provides the investment our public services desperately need. The £44 billion increase in day-to-day spending represents the biggest boost to public services since 2000, with significant funding for the NHS, schools, and local councils.

This means more resources to tackle NHS waiting lists, repair crumbling school buildings and ensure councils can deliver vital local services. The £1 billion extension of the Household Support Fund will also help councils support vulnerable residents through the cost-of-living crisis.

The devolved governments will receive an additional £6.6 billion through the operation of the Barnett formula. This includes £3.4 billion for the Scottish government, £1.7 for the Welsh government and £1.5 billion for the Northern Ireland Executive.

Will this help grow the economy?

Unlike the failed experiments with unfunded tax cuts of previous governments, this budget takes a grown-up approach to economic growth. By investing in our public services and infrastructure, it lays the foundations for sustainable growth.

The £100 billion boost to public investment over five years will help modernise our infrastructure and support the transition to clean energy. Crucially, this investment in our future is being done responsibly within new fiscal rules. This means that alongside the increases in spending on day-to-day public services, there is money available for new energy infrastructure, railways and housing.

The chancellor has said there will be further announcements over coming weeks on additional measures that will help grow the economy. Later this month, she will be giving a speech about how pension funds can used to support additional investment in the UK economy.

Is there anything to be concerned about?

While this budget represents real progress, there’s still more to do. The government needs to go further on reforming the social care system and ensuring public sector workers are properly rewarded for their vital work.

The projected slow growth in living standards, while still an improvement on the last government, also shows the scale of the economic challenges the Labour government has inherited.

However, this budget marks a clear break from the past 14 years of austerity and chaos. Instead of quick fixes and unfunded promises, it provides an honest assessment of what’s needed to restore our public services and build a fairer economy.

With proper investment in public services, protection for the most vulnerable, and asking those with the most to contribute their fair share, this budget shows how different choices can lead to better outcomes for everyone. It’s a grown-up approach that puts the foundations in place for a stronger, fairer country.

The message is clear – good public services require proper funding, and this budget finally begins to deliver the investment needed after years of decline. While there’s more work to do, it represents a welcome reset after 14 years of failed policies that left our public services in tatters.

The article The budget: A rejection of austerity and a move toward growth first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Opinion: Hopes and fears for COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan

By Tony Wright, chair of UNISON policy development and campaigns committee and NEC member for Yorkshire and Humberside

For those of you who don’t already know, COP stands for Conference of Parties, and it refers to the representative groups attending the annual worldwide negotiations on our changing climate and everything affected by it. Over recent years our union has been at the forefront of pushing forward climate and sustainability as key areas of discussion at all levels.

In my role as chair of the UNISON policy committee, I will be attending the negotiations as part of the ITUC delegation. ITUC is the international trade union confederation, and as one of the designated non-governmental organisations, we will be representing the interests of over 200 million workers belonging to 340 unions from 169 countries.

The trade union delegation has played a key role in pushing for progress on areas that not only affect climate change, but also the rights and lives of our members and their families.

The finance COP

COP29 is being called ‘the finance COP’, because this is the year the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance is due to be agreed. The new climate finance goal, or NCQG, is the successor to the last funding pledge rich countries made to low-income ones, in 2009. That was $100 billion per year.

Countries have roundly failed to deliver the agreed amount year after year, which has led to extreme mistrust between nations and a lost decade of climate action.

In between each of the annual COP negotiations, lots of work goes on, planning for the critical high-level November discussions. As with previous years, ITUC has issued a clear list of demands that we will be pushing forward in Baku at every opportunity.

Climate finance for a just transition must include:

  • Comprehensive funding to create decent, quality jobs in climate change mitigation sectors through financing workforce development, training, apprenticeships and redeployment
  • Financial support for workers in high-emission sectors transitioning to low-carbon alternatives
  • Adaptation and resilience measures, including safe and healthy workplaces
  • Compensation for loss of livelihoods and damage to workers’ employment
  • Funding for social protection and for social dialogue with trade unions throughout the transition process.

COP29 comes at an incredibly important time for communities being devastated by the climate crisis, and the trade unions which many of the people living in those communities belong to.

It is a matter of fairness that high-income countries such as the United Kingdom – which became rich from highly polluting coal, oil and gas-fuelled economic development – support poor countries financially both to decarbonise and to adapt to a vastly more volatile climate.

A need for progress

As well as my role on the NEC, I work as a full-time sustainability manager in our NHS. The involvement of the unions via staff side and partnership working is vital in steering our employers towards achieving the net zero carbon levels such as by 2040 in the NHS.

With this mind another important area we will be looking for progress on at COP29, is internationally recognised support in the workplace for branch roles such as environment officers or green reps.

Working with the TUC and our fellow trade unions under the new Labour government, we are hoping to see more statutory support for green reps such as protected facility time – as this is a vital role promoting green issues to members and holding employers to account.

Those are some of my hopes. In terms of fears, my main worry is that due to the different priorities of the parties represented, no significant progress will be made.

Unlike in one of our branch committee meetings where, if there is a difference of view a vote is taken and the majority is carried, under the way COP operates, every single group represented in the discussions has to agree on every single word of all of the many agreements covering numerous areas.

If you stop to think about just how wide the financial and political differences between the poorer and richer nations of the world are, it is easy to see why any progress at all is an achievement. But with time fast running out in terms of global warming, I just hope that common sense will prevail, and we see meaningful progress. It is good that UNISON will be in the room with an opportunity to push for the demands mentioned previously.

As part of my reporting back from last year’s COP28 negotiations, I did a daily blog, which I will be doing again this year from Azerbaijan. You can keep up to date with what is happening from a trade union perspective by following the daily blogs here.

The article Opinion: Hopes and fears for COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Opinion: Hopes and fears for COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan

By Tony Wright, chair of UNISON policy development and campaigns committee and NEC member for Yorkshire and Humberside

For those of you who don’t already know, COP stands for Conference of Parties, and it refers to the representative groups attending the annual worldwide negotiations on our changing climate and everything affected by it. Over recent years our union has been at the forefront of pushing forward climate and sustainability as key areas of discussion at all levels.

In my role as chair of the UNISON policy committee, I will be attending the negotiations as part of the ITUC delegation. ITUC is the international trade union confederation, and as one of the designated non-governmental organisations, we will be representing the interests of over 200 million workers belonging to 340 unions from 169 countries.

The trade union delegation has played a key role in pushing for progress on areas that not only affect climate change, but also the rights and lives of our members and their families.

The finance COP

COP29 is being called ‘the finance COP’, because this is the year the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance is due to be agreed. The new climate finance goal, or NCQG, is the successor to the last funding pledge rich countries made to low-income ones, in 2009. That was $100 billion per year.

Countries have roundly failed to deliver the agreed amount year after year, which has led to extreme mistrust between nations and a lost decade of climate action.

In between each of the annual COP negotiations, lots of work goes on, planning for the critical high-level November discussions. As with previous years, ITUC has issued a clear list of demands that we will be pushing forward in Baku at every opportunity.

Climate finance for a just transition must include:

  • Comprehensive funding to create decent, quality jobs in climate change mitigation sectors through financing workforce development, training, apprenticeships and redeployment
  • Financial support for workers in high-emission sectors transitioning to low-carbon alternatives
  • Adaptation and resilience measures, including safe and healthy workplaces
  • Compensation for loss of livelihoods and damage to workers’ employment
  • Funding for social protection and for social dialogue with trade unions throughout the transition process.

COP29 comes at an incredibly important time for communities being devastated by the climate crisis, and the trade unions which many of the people living in those communities belong to.

It is a matter of fairness that high-income countries such as the United Kingdom – which became rich from highly polluting coal, oil and gas-fuelled economic development – support poor countries financially both to decarbonise and to adapt to a vastly more volatile climate.

A need for progress

As well as my role on the NEC, I work as a full-time sustainability manager in our NHS. The involvement of the unions via staff side and partnership working is vital in steering our employers towards achieving the net zero carbon levels such as by 2040 in the NHS.

With this mind another important area we will be looking for progress on at COP29, is internationally recognised support in the workplace for branch roles such as environment officers or green reps.

Working with the TUC and our fellow trade unions under the new Labour government, we are hoping to see more statutory support for green reps such as protected facility time – as this is a vital role promoting green issues to members and holding employers to account.

Those are some of my hopes. In terms of fears, my main worry is that due to the different priorities of the parties represented, no significant progress will be made.

Unlike in one of our branch committee meetings where, if there is a difference of view a vote is taken and the majority is carried, under the way COP operates, every single group represented in the discussions has to agree on every single word of all of the many agreements covering numerous areas.

If you stop to think about just how wide the financial and political differences between the poorer and richer nations of the world are, it is easy to see why any progress at all is an achievement. But with time fast running out in terms of global warming, I just hope that common sense will prevail, and we see meaningful progress. It is good that UNISON will be in the room with an opportunity to push for the demands mentioned previously.

As part of my reporting back from last year’s COP28 negotiations, I did a daily blog, which I will be doing again this year from Azerbaijan. You can keep up to date with what is happening from a trade union perspective by following the daily blogs here.

The article Opinion: Hopes and fears for COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON College launches Financial Wellbeing Fortnight

UNISON College’s Financial Wellbeing Fortnight 2024 runs from Monday 11 November – Friday 22 November.

It is a two-week series of sessions designed to help increase confidence with money management, understand debt and improve financial literacy. These are free online events for UNISON members.

The sessions will help develop your financial management skills and knowledge, which can be applied to your personal and professional life.

You can sign up for as many sessions as you like by completing the online registration form.

All sessions will be delivered online via MS Teams or Zoom.

Find out more and register

The article UNISON College launches Financial Wellbeing Fortnight first appeared on the UNISON National site.