Category: Christina McAnea

Opinion: ‘I am determined and optimistic’ for the year ahead

By UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea

The start of 2025 brings into focus not only the scale of challenges that lie ahead, but more importantly, the many opportunities awaiting us too.

The change in government last year marked the beginning of a new chapter in our campaign for properly funded public services and fair treatment for all those that deliver them.

But although the ministers in charge understand the value of properly funded public services, the financial mess inherited from the last lot means our work is far from over.

Across the globe, the devastating situation in Gaza and the demand for a permanent ceasefire continues to be an international priority for our union. Hopes have been raised this week that a ceasefire may be achieved in the last few days of Joe Biden’s presidency. But in the last 15 months, approximately 46,000 Palestinians have been killed and 110,000 injured in Gaza. Public services, including healthcare, have been almost wiped out and over 80% of Gaza remains under evacuation orders.

Last May, when I visited Palestine, unions there told me how much our solidarity means. I know branches and activists will join us in our continued campaigning for an immediate ceasefire, full access to humanitarian assistance, the immediate and safe release of hostages and for the UK government to recognise Palestine officially and ultimately usher in a two-state solution.

Attacks on unions in Turkey have increased in recent months, with a number of prominent trade unionists arrested and detained for alleged terrorist offences. This includes Remzi Çal??kan, president of the municipal workers’ union D?SK/Genel-??. Thankfully, after international pressure, Remzi was released on Christmas Eve, but many others still face trumped-up charges.

When I attended the Heavy Penal Court in Ankara in 2022, I saw how our colleagues in the health union SES were being targeted for their union activities, in a highly politicised trial. Trade unionism is not a crime, and we must continue to demand the acquittal of our friends.

Back in the UK, while Labour gives us opportunities for dialogue at senior levels in Westminster that we’ve largely been denied since 2010, no one can afford to be complacent.

For our NHS workers, we need to persuade the government to think again on pay. Ministers must convene talks with unions and employers on the coming year’s wage rise and reform of outdated Agenda for Change salary scales. The government’s decision to continue to rely on the failed and discredited pay review body process is a huge mistake. This is especially the case when NHS staff will be key to the government’s plans to get the NHS back on its feet.

The Employment Rights Bill presents a crucial opportunity for positive change. Its many positives include protecting workers on zero-hours contracts and bringing union laws into the 21st century.  We also need to use our influence to push the government to set a clear direction to end outsourcing, which affects too many workers across the country.

This week I’ll be contacting the health secretary to ask him to intervene in the decision taken by the East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust to privatise its cleaning, security, catering and porter jobs to Sodexo. This flies in the face of government promises to kickstart a wave of insourcing of privatised contracts.

I also want to make it clear that UNISON will not tolerate the mistreatment or exploitation of any worker. That includes migrant care workers who have travelled from overseas to help deliver a crucial service. We’re speaking to ministers regularly and will keep pushing for an end to discrimination, harassment, bullying and abuse.

Care workers hired from overseas have had money deducted from their wages to cover dubious fees, faced demands to repay thousands of pounds when they try to move jobs, and have been forced to pay extortionate rents for substandard accommodation. Many are also paid at illegal rates and do punishingly long working hours. All completely indefensible.

Earlier this month, the government announced an independent commission for adult social care is to be chaired by Baroness Casey to advise on how (not if) to deliver a national care service for England. This must work to a strict timeframe and deliver recommendations at the earliest possible opportunity.

Care workers, those who need care and their families have already been waiting many years for improvements that should have happened decades ago. UNISON has led the campaign for a national service that provides world-class care for everyone who needs it. More importantly, it must be a service that pays the kind of wages that can help turn around the staffing crisis currently causing so many problems in the sector. The government’s fair pay agreement is just the start of this process and we will do all we can to ensure the ministers keep care reform as the priority it is.

As I look ahead to the coming year, I am determined and optimistic. Our union’s strength lies in solidarity – standing together, supporting one another and fighting for what’s right. Whether it’s defending the NHS, protecting workers’ rights, or supporting union colleagues across the globe – 2025 will be a year of action and we will be at the heart of it. Together, we will continue to be the voice for public service workers and the communities they serve.

The article Opinion: ‘I am determined and optimistic’ for the year ahead first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Opinion: ‘I am determined and optimistic’ for the year ahead

By UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea

The start of 2025 brings into focus not only the scale of challenges that lie ahead, but more importantly, the many opportunities awaiting us too.

The change in government last year marked the beginning of a new chapter in our campaign for properly funded public services and fair treatment for all those that deliver them.

But although the ministers in charge understand the value of properly funded public services, the financial mess inherited from the last lot means our work is far from over.

Across the globe, the devastating situation in Gaza and the demand for a permanent ceasefire continues to be an international priority for our union. Hopes have been raised this week that a ceasefire may be achieved in the last few days of Joe Biden’s presidency. But in the last 15 months, approximately 46,000 Palestinians have been killed and 110,000 injured in Gaza. Public services, including healthcare, have been almost wiped out and over 80% of Gaza remains under evacuation orders.

Last May, when I visited Palestine, unions there told me how much our solidarity means. I know branches and activists will join us in our continued campaigning for an immediate ceasefire, full access to humanitarian assistance, the immediate and safe release of hostages and for the UK government to recognise Palestine officially and ultimately usher in a two-state solution.

Attacks on unions in Turkey have increased in recent months, with a number of prominent trade unionists arrested and detained for alleged terrorist offences. This includes Remzi Çal??kan, president of the municipal workers’ union D?SK/Genel-??. Thankfully, after international pressure, Remzi was released on Christmas Eve, but many others still face trumped-up charges.

When I attended the Heavy Penal Court in Ankara in 2022, I saw how our colleagues in the health union SES were being targeted for their union activities, in a highly politicised trial. Trade unionism is not a crime, and we must continue to demand the acquittal of our friends.

Back in the UK, while Labour gives us opportunities for dialogue at senior levels in Westminster that we’ve largely been denied since 2010, no one can afford to be complacent.

For our NHS workers, we need to persuade the government to think again on pay. Ministers must convene talks with unions and employers on the coming year’s wage rise and reform of outdated Agenda for Change salary scales. The government’s decision to continue to rely on the failed and discredited pay review body process is a huge mistake. This is especially the case when NHS staff will be key to the government’s plans to get the NHS back on its feet.

The Employment Rights Bill presents a crucial opportunity for positive change. Its many positives include protecting workers on zero-hours contracts and bringing union laws into the 21st century.  We also need to use our influence to push the government to set a clear direction to end outsourcing, which affects too many workers across the country.

This week I’ll be contacting the health secretary to ask him to intervene in the decision taken by the East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust to privatise its cleaning, security, catering and porter jobs to Sodexo. This flies in the face of government promises to kickstart a wave of insourcing of privatised contracts.

I also want to make it clear that UNISON will not tolerate the mistreatment or exploitation of any worker. That includes migrant care workers who have travelled from overseas to help deliver a crucial service. We’re speaking to ministers regularly and will keep pushing for an end to discrimination, harassment, bullying and abuse.

Care workers hired from overseas have had money deducted from their wages to cover dubious fees, faced demands to repay thousands of pounds when they try to move jobs, and have been forced to pay extortionate rents for substandard accommodation. Many are also paid at illegal rates and do punishingly long working hours. All completely indefensible.

Earlier this month, the government announced an independent commission for adult social care is to be chaired by Baroness Casey to advise on how (not if) to deliver a national care service for England. This must work to a strict timeframe and deliver recommendations at the earliest possible opportunity.

Care workers, those who need care and their families have already been waiting many years for improvements that should have happened decades ago. UNISON has led the campaign for a national service that provides world-class care for everyone who needs it. More importantly, it must be a service that pays the kind of wages that can help turn around the staffing crisis currently causing so many problems in the sector. The government’s fair pay agreement is just the start of this process and we will do all we can to ensure the ministers keep care reform as the priority it is.

As I look ahead to the coming year, I am determined and optimistic. Our union’s strength lies in solidarity – standing together, supporting one another and fighting for what’s right. Whether it’s defending the NHS, protecting workers’ rights, or supporting union colleagues across the globe – 2025 will be a year of action and we will be at the heart of it. Together, we will continue to be the voice for public service workers and the communities they serve.

The article Opinion: ‘I am determined and optimistic’ for the year ahead first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Opinion: A week from the budget, the country needs a new direction

By UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea

There’s been much speculation over the past few weeks as to what might be in Labour’s first budget for 14 years. Two things we do know for certain are that the government has inherited a difficult financial situation and the chancellor faces a challenging task.

The country is in urgent need of a new direction and there will be much interest in what Rachel Reeves outlines when she unveils her much-anticipated autumn spending plan next Wednesday (30 October).

The Conservatives have left behind a colossal £22bn black hole for the current year that is blighting public finances. The chancellor has also talked of a £40bn funding gap that the government needs to fill over the lifetime of the current parliament to avoid a return to austerity.

Closing this while generating economic growth won’t be a painless experience and there is a clearly a price to be paid for the years of dreadful Tory economic mismanagement. But working people and our public services should be protected along the way too.

In its manifesto, Labour pledged not to raise taxes on working people. The tax burden on them is already too heavy, and it’s time to ease that pressure. Instead, ministers should focus on increasing taxes on unearned wealth. It’s also crucial to close the tax loopholes that let non-doms avoid paying their fair share and to prevent oil and gas companies from raking in massive profits while polluting the planet.

We now have a government that recognises the value of public services, and the chancellor has pledged there’ll be no return to the damaging spending cuts of the past. We know well-resourced, effectively staffed services can help grow the economy. But the challenge for the government is to generate the growth to make all this possible.

The budget is a huge opportunity for the chancellor to set the tone and start delivering the resources to invest in and boost the NHS, and other essential services like schools, police, probation and local government.

Ad hoc, panicked cash injections – as we saw under the Conservatives – won’t cut it. What’s needed is a long-term, sustainable plan to see us through the next five years at least, with funding made a priority and the workforce supported along the way.  

Public service employees have kept this country running despite years of pay freezes, below-inflation awards, staffing crises and austerity. They deserve fair wages to reflect the value of the essential services they provide, address the disparity between their income and the cost of living, and help fill the huge number of vacancies.

In addition, pensioners already struggling to get by must have the winter fuel allowance returned to them. Otherwise, such cuts will push the vulnerable elderly into greater hardship, and we must not leave them out in the cold.

Older people are keeping warm in libraries while local councils are considering closing these essential community spaces due to the increasingly perilous state of their finances.

The chancellor must protect local services with a sensible funding settlement, step in to stop closures of key local services and lend a helping hand to local government as more and more authorities struggle to balance their books.

The budget must signal that Labour is serious about growth and that now is the time for a new direction.

The article Opinion: A week from the budget, the country needs a new direction first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Opinion: A week from the budget, the country needs a new direction

By UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea

There’s been much speculation over the past few weeks as to what might be in Labour’s first budget for 14 years. Two things we do know for certain are that the government has inherited a difficult financial situation and the chancellor faces a challenging task.

The country is in urgent need of a new direction and there will be much interest in what Rachel Reeves outlines when she unveils her much-anticipated autumn spending plan next Wednesday (30 October).

The Conservatives have left behind a colossal £22bn black hole for the current year that is blighting public finances. The chancellor has also talked of a £40bn funding gap that the government needs to fill over the lifetime of the current parliament to avoid a return to austerity.

Closing this while generating economic growth won’t be a painless experience and there is a clearly a price to be paid for the years of dreadful Tory economic mismanagement. But working people and our public services should be protected along the way too.

In its manifesto, Labour pledged not to raise taxes on working people. The tax burden on them is already too heavy. Instead, ministers should focus on increasing taxes on unearned wealth. It’s also crucial to close the tax loopholes that let non-doms avoid paying their fair share and to prevent oil and gas companies from raking in massive profits while polluting the planet.

We now have a government that recognises the value of public services, and the chancellor has pledged there’ll be no return to the damaging spending cuts of the past. We know well-resourced, effectively staffed services can help grow the economy. But the challenge for the government is to generate the growth to make all this possible.

The budget is a huge opportunity for the chancellor to set the tone and start delivering the resources to invest in and boost the NHS, and other essential services like schools, police, probation and local government.

Ad hoc, panicked cash injections – as we saw under the Conservatives – won’t cut it. What’s needed is a long-term, sustainable plan to see us through the next five years at least, with funding made a priority and the workforce supported along the way.  

Public service employees have kept this country running despite years of pay freezes, below-inflation awards, staffing crises and austerity. They deserve fair wages to reflect the value of the essential services they provide, address the disparity between their income and the cost of living, and help fill the huge number of vacancies.

In addition, pensioners already struggling to get by must have the winter fuel allowance returned to them. Otherwise, such cuts will push the vulnerable elderly into greater hardship, and we must not leave them out in the cold.

Older people are keeping warm in libraries while local councils are considering closing these essential community spaces due to the increasingly perilous state of their finances.

The chancellor must protect local services with a sensible funding settlement, step in to stop closures of key local services and lend a helping hand to local government as more and more authorities struggle to balance their books.

The budget must signal that Labour is serious about growth and that now is the time for a new direction.

The article Opinion: A week from the budget, the country needs a new direction first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Opinion: International law must be respected in the Middle East

By UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea

The devastating situation in the Middle East has escalated beyond our worst fears. The violence of the last year has only fuelled more violence, and now the region is on the precipice of a catastrophic regional war.

From the beginning of this latest conflict, UNISON’s main call has been for a ceasefire, first in Gaza and now in Lebanon. Conflict destroys lives and livelihoods, and without peace, there is little hope for human and workers’ rights.

In recent days, the conflict with Hezbollah has expanded from the border well into Lebanon, with Israeli troops invading the south of the country, while towns and cities, including the capital, Beirut, have been bombarded. Over 1.2 million people have already been displaced and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned of “a long war that will lead to destruction and suffering like we see in Gaza”.

While the United Nations has overwhelmingly supported resolutions condemning the violence and the world’s highest court has called for measures to protect civilians, world leaders have failed to take sufficient actions to end the crisis.

As the people of Palestine, Israel and the wider region enter the second year of this latest conflict, peace seems a very distant hope. In Gaza, over 41,500 Palestinians have been killed, with many more missing, presumed to be under the rubble. Almost the entire population of 2.1 million people has been displaced and 86% of Gaza has been placed under evacuation orders.

So called ‘safe zones’ are horrendously overcrowded and lack adequate water and sanitation, contributing to a surge in infectious diseases. Meanwhile, ceasefire talks have stalled, unlikely to resume until at least after the US election.

Restrictions on the freedom of movement of Palestinians in the West Bank have intensified, contributing to a significant increase rise in unemployment. About 600 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli Defence Force and settlers, and at least 4,500 have been displaced due to the destruction of property.

The atrocities of 7 October have had a deeply traumatic and catastrophic impact on the people of Israel. The murder of 1,200 civilians and abduction of 251 hostages was a grave violation of international law and has been described as the worst disaster in Israel’s history.

Calls for a ceasefire deal to release the 101 hostages who remain unaccounted for remain unheeded, despite continued major protests led by the families of hostages in Israel. Israel has also come under attack from Iran and groups in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Gaza and Iraq aligned to the Iranian regime.

In the last three months we have seen some welcome steps from the new UK government to uphold international law, provide access to humanitarian assistance and limit the supply of arms; but these measures do not go far enough. We need the government to take further action to demand a ceasefire, including suspending the arms trade and the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement until human rights and international law are respected.

When I visited Palestine this June to meet with trade unions and the Palestinian Authority (pictured above), their message was clear. They need an immediate ceasefire to end the bloodshed. But this must pave the way for a viable, contiguous Palestinian state alongside Israel to end the occupation and the violation of Palestinian rights which has fuelled the conflict in the Middle East for decades.

With the Israeli Knesset (parliament) overwhelmingly opposed to any form of Palestinian state we need the world’s governments, including our own, to recognise Palestine, end support for the settlements and ensure international law is fully respected.

UNISON members have lost family and friends or fear for their safety. Many have been affected by the devastating rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia. Even the cost of fuel and food has been affected.

UNISON was one of the first unions to call for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, full access to humanitarian assistance and for an end to the blockade. And we must continue making these demands as the critical first steps towards peace in the region and a viable Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel.

The article Opinion: International law must be respected in the Middle East first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Opinion: International law must be respected in the Middle East

By UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea

The devastating situation in the Middle East has escalated beyond our worst fears. The violence of the last year has only fuelled more violence, and now the region is on the precipice of a catastrophic regional war.

From the beginning of this latest conflict, UNISON’s main call has been for a ceasefire, first in Gaza and now in Lebanon. Conflict destroys lives and livelihoods, and without peace, there is little hope for human and workers’ rights.

In recent days, the conflict with Hezbollah has expanded from the border well into Lebanon, with Israeli troops invading the south of the country, while towns and cities, including the capital, Beirut, have been bombarded. Over 1.2 million people have already been displaced and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned of “a long war that will lead to destruction and suffering like we see in Gaza”.

While the United Nations has overwhelmingly supported resolutions condemning the violence and the world’s highest court has called for measures to protect civilians, world leaders have failed to take sufficient actions to end the crisis.

As the people of Palestine, Israel and the wider region enter the second year of this latest conflict, peace seems a very distant hope. In Gaza, over 41,500 Palestinians have been killed, with many more missing, presumed to be under the rubble. Almost the entire population of 2.1 million people has been displaced and 86% of Gaza has been placed under evacuation orders.

So called ‘safe zones’ are horrendously overcrowded and lack adequate water and sanitation, contributing to a surge in infectious diseases. Meanwhile, ceasefire talks have stalled, unlikely to resume until at least after the US election.

Restrictions on the freedom of movement of Palestinians in the West Bank have intensified, contributing to a significant increase rise in unemployment. About 600 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli Defence Force and settlers, and at least 4,500 have been displaced due to the destruction of property.

The atrocities of 7 October have had a deeply traumatic and catastrophic impact on the people of Israel. The murder of 1,200 civilians and abduction of 251 hostages was a grave violation of international law and has been described as the worst disaster in Israel’s history.

Calls for a ceasefire deal to release the 101 hostages who remain unaccounted for remain unheeded, despite continued major protests led by the families of hostages in Israel. Israel has also come under attack from Iran and groups in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Gaza and Iraq aligned to the Iranian regime.

In the last three months we have seen some welcome steps from the new UK government to uphold international law, provide access to humanitarian assistance and limit the supply of arms; but these measures do not go far enough. We need the government to take further action to demand a ceasefire, including suspending the arms trade and the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement until human rights and international law are respected.

When I visited Palestine this June to meet with trade unions and the Palestinian Authority (pictured above), their message was clear. They need an immediate ceasefire to end the bloodshed. But this must pave the way for a viable, contiguous Palestinian state alongside Israel to end the occupation and the violation of Palestinian rights which has fuelled the conflict in the Middle East for decades.

With the Israeli Knesset (parliament) overwhelmingly opposed to any form of Palestinian state we need the world’s governments, including our own, to recognise Palestine, end support for the settlements and ensure international law is fully respected.

UNISON members have lost family and friends or fear for their safety. Many have been affected by the devastating rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia. Even the cost of fuel and food has been affected.

UNISON was one of the first unions to call for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, full access to humanitarian assistance and for an end to the blockade. And we must continue making these demands as the critical first steps towards peace in the region and a viable Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel.

The article Opinion: International law must be respected in the Middle East first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Opinion: Why climate change is so important for UNISON

By UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea

Today marks the beginning of Green UNISON Week, now an established part of the UNISON calendar and a mark of the importance we give this issue in UNISON.

And I applaud everyone taking part in the various green activities up and down the country, whether it’s becoming citizen scientists, putting on or attending a local green event, attending a national green workshop or considering taking on the new role of branch environmental officer this week. And it’s fantastic to see that UNISON has seen a 100% increase in branch environmental officers over the last 18 months!

Today we are also pleased to be launching our new guide, Bargaining on Green Issues in the Workplace, to support our members and activists who want to get more active on this agenda in their workplace.

Why is climate change so important to UNISON?

Collectively our workers across every sector are key stakeholders in the transformations necessary to meet the UK’s commitment challenge to get to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Public services are vital to this agenda – that means we can use our influence to act, and to support our members’ actions, in addressing this emergency situation.

Our members are often at the frontline of managing the affects on our health and our environment. All our jobs are, or will be, affected in one way or another. And, of course, our energy workers are at the forefront of delivering the new renewable technologies and infrastructure that reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

This year, July saw the three highest global temperatures ever recorded and a new study showed that pollution alone now accounts for more deaths globally than war, disease and drugs combined.

Heatwaves are now estimated to kill 30 times more people a year than tropical cyclones. Yet, despite pollution and heatwaves causing such devastation, they are unseen catastrophes. Unlike floods, hurricanes and wildfires, they don’t leave a trail of physical destruction or striking images in the news.

And we know that, both at home and abroad, pollution and extreme heat prey on the poorest and most disadvantaged people. And it is public services, and our members, who have to pick up the pieces of these impacts in the UK.

We can’t afford to bury our head in the sand and hope this goes away.

While initial signs are very encouraging, we wait to see if this new Labour government will be ambitious enough to do what’s needed, both fairly and in time. The UK must urgently get back on track with its commitments and continue to lead and encourage others to do the same.

As a public service union, we are clear that the money we are not investing now, up-front, on meeting those vital carbon reduction targets will end up being spent 10 or a hundred times over on attempting to adapt to whatever comes next. That’s money that could and should be saved to strengthen the public services we all rely on.

How can members get involved

We must also encourage and enable our members to get active in the local transformations and negotiations that are already happening across public services. This will ensure that workers are recognised as key stakeholders in the plans that affect them, their families and their communities, and will ensure the transition to a greener UK is a fair one.

That’s why we introduced the new branch environmental officer role launched this new guide to support your engagement on this issue, Bargaining on Green Issues in the Workplace.

The guide provides details on how UNISON activists can get involved at every level and is just part of the direct support we have available, along with training and other resources to help you along the way.

International impact

Here in the UK, we have everything we need for a just and rapid transition away from fossil fuels – many other countries are not so lucky.

But UNISON is clear, getting to net zero on time in the UK can’t be at the cost of people’s livelihoods, or reliance on other countries taking on the burden instead of us.

We need to work together and meet this crisis head on with a planned approach to an urgent and just transition for all where no one is left behind and public services, and our members who provide them, need to be recognised as key stakeholders and given access to the negotiating tables when these vital transformation decisions are made.

The article Opinion: Why climate change is so important for UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Opinion: Why climate change is so important for UNISON

By UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea

Today marks the beginning of Green UNISON Week, now an established part of the UNISON calendar and a mark of the importance we give this issue in UNISON.

And I applaud everyone taking part in the various green activities up and down the country, whether it’s becoming citizen scientists, putting on or attending a local green event, attending a national green workshop or considering taking on the new role of branch environmental officer this week. And it’s fantastic to see that UNISON has seen a 100% increase in branch environmental officers over the last 18 months!

Today we are also pleased to be launching our new guide, Bargaining on Green Issues in the Workplace, to support our members and activists who want to get more active on this agenda in their workplace.

Why is climate change so important to UNISON?

Collectively our workers across every sector are key stakeholders in the transformations necessary to meet the UK’s commitment challenge to get to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Public services are vital to this agenda – that means we can use our influence to act, and to support our members’ actions, in addressing this emergency situation.

Our members are often at the frontline of managing the affects on our health and our environment. All our jobs are, or will be, affected in one way or another. And, of course, our energy workers are at the forefront of delivering the new renewable technologies and infrastructure that reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

This year, July saw the three highest global temperatures ever recorded and a new study showed that pollution alone now accounts for more deaths globally than war, disease and drugs combined.

Heatwaves are now estimated to kill 30 times more people a year than tropical cyclones. Yet, despite pollution and heatwaves causing such devastation, they are unseen catastrophes. Unlike floods, hurricanes and wildfires, they don’t leave a trail of physical destruction or striking images in the news.

And we know that, both at home and abroad, pollution and extreme heat prey on the poorest and most disadvantaged people. And it is public services, and our members, who have to pick up the pieces of these impacts in the UK.

We can’t afford to bury our head in the sand and hope this goes away.

While initial signs are very encouraging, we wait to see if this new Labour government will be ambitious enough to do what’s needed, both fairly and in time. The UK must urgently get back on track with its commitments and continue to lead and encourage others to do the same.

As a public service union, we are clear that the money we are not investing now, up-front, on meeting those vital carbon reduction targets will end up being spent 10 or a hundred times over on attempting to adapt to whatever comes next. That’s money that could and should be saved to strengthen the public services we all rely on.

How can members get involved

We must also encourage and enable our members to get active in the local transformations and negotiations that are already happening across public services. This will ensure that workers are recognised as key stakeholders in the plans that affect them, their families and their communities, and will ensure the transition to a greener UK is a fair one.

That’s why we introduced the new branch environmental officer role launched this new guide to support your engagement on this issue, Bargaining on Green Issues in the Workplace.

The guide provides details on how UNISON activists can get involved at every level and is just part of the direct support we have available, along with training and other resources to help you along the way.

International impact

Here in the UK, we have everything we need for a just and rapid transition away from fossil fuels – many other countries are not so lucky.

But UNISON is clear, getting to net zero on time in the UK can’t be at the cost of people’s livelihoods, or reliance on other countries taking on the burden instead of us.

We need to work together and meet this crisis head on with a planned approach to an urgent and just transition for all where no one is left behind and public services, and our members who provide them, need to be recognised as key stakeholders and given access to the negotiating tables when these vital transformation decisions are made.

The article Opinion: Why climate change is so important for UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Bringing the NHS back to full health must begin with a focus on staff

Commenting on the prime minister’s speech earlier today (Thursday) launching Lord Darzi of Denham’s review into the state of the NHS, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“The public rightly holds the NHS in high regard, but in many ways this great institution is now out of step with the modern world.

“The creation of the NHS 76 years ago under a Labour government transformed the health and life chances of ordinary working people.

“But many years of under-investment, critical staffing shortages, a failing care system and unnecessary, but damaging reforms have all taken a massive toll.

“Reform is needed, but that won’t come without a cost. Just as with social care, the NHS can’t get back to tip-top health without a well-resourced team of staff.

“Both health and care sectors are many thousands of workers short. The higher wages that will follow from the promised fair pay agreement in care will boost recruitment and leave that sector less reliant on an NHS creaking at the seams.

“The NHS might have more staff but it still doesn’t have enough. Local strikes are ongoing in hospitals across England because antiquated salary scales no longer bear much relation to the jobs skilled workers do.

“Other disputes are about staff wanting to stay in the NHS in the face of heartless trusts keen to offload them to the private sector.

“The new government’s promised a wave of insourcing to improve the patient experience. But this message is yet to reach some NHS trust bosses.

“Industrial strife aside, there are also high levels of stress-related sickness, employee burnout, and huge turnover rates to contend with. These are all symptoms of an increasingly fragile NHS.

“Staffing is crucial to turning the NHS around, but funding squeezes are forcing trusts to let workers go, freeze recruitment and cut back on training. This is completely at odds with the long-term workforce plan.

“Transforming the NHS into a service that’s the envy of the world once more won’t happen overnight. But for this to be a lasting success, staff must be involved from the off.

“No one knows the NHS better than the people who work for it. And they’re feeling pretty low at the moment. Employees need to be convinced the health service can be saved and that it has a future they want to be part of.

“The NHS must move out of its crumbling buildings and on from outmoded practices like outsourcing, short-term cost cutting and an over-reliance on a casual, agency workforce. Nothing short of a complete reset will do. At the heart of this renewal must be an understanding that the best asset the NHS has is its staff.”

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
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk

The article Bringing the NHS back to full health must begin with a focus on staff first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Bringing the NHS back to full health must begin with a focus on staff

Commenting on the prime minister’s speech earlier today (Thursday) launching Lord Darzi of Denham’s review into the state of the NHS, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“The public rightly holds the NHS in high regard, but in many ways this great institution is now out of step with the modern world.

“The creation of the NHS 76 years ago under a Labour government transformed the health and life chances of ordinary working people.

“But many years of under-investment, critical staffing shortages, a failing care system and unnecessary, but damaging reforms have all taken a massive toll.

“Reform is needed, but that won’t come without a cost. Just as with social care, the NHS can’t get back to tip-top health without a well-resourced team of staff.

“Both health and care sectors are many thousands of workers short. The higher wages that will follow from the promised fair pay agreement in care will boost recruitment and leave that sector less reliant on an NHS creaking at the seams.

“The NHS might have more staff but it still doesn’t have enough. Local strikes are ongoing in hospitals across England because antiquated salary scales no longer bear much relation to the jobs skilled workers do.

“Other disputes are about staff wanting to stay in the NHS in the face of heartless trusts keen to offload them to the private sector.

“The new government’s promised a wave of insourcing to improve the patient experience. But this message is yet to reach some NHS trust bosses.

“Industrial strife aside, there are also high levels of stress-related sickness, employee burnout, and huge turnover rates to contend with. These are all symptoms of an increasingly fragile NHS.

“Staffing is crucial to turning the NHS around, but funding squeezes are forcing trusts to let workers go, freeze recruitment and cut back on training. This is completely at odds with the long-term workforce plan.

“Transforming the NHS into a service that’s the envy of the world once more won’t happen overnight. But for this to be a lasting success, staff must be involved from the off.

“No one knows the NHS better than the people who work for it. And they’re feeling pretty low at the moment. Employees need to be convinced the health service can be saved and that it has a future they want to be part of.

“The NHS must move out of its crumbling buildings and on from outmoded practices like outsourcing, short-term cost cutting and an over-reliance on a casual, agency workforce. Nothing short of a complete reset will do. At the heart of this renewal must be an understanding that the best asset the NHS has is its staff.”

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
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk

The article Bringing the NHS back to full health must begin with a focus on staff first appeared on the UNISON National site.