Category: Fair pay agreement

Bill will make game-changing improvements to working life, says UNISON

Commenting on the publication of the employment rights bill today (Thursday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“At last the lives of millions of employees across the UK look set to change for the better. The bill lays the groundwork for a brighter future for everyone at work.

“There’ll be improved protection from the first day in a job and more family-friendly roles. Bad bosses won’t be able to exploit at whim using dodgy ‘fire and rehire’ tactics, and it’ll be easier for unions to offer support to all employees.

“The means to create a fair pay agreement to increase wages for care workers in England is game-changing. It’s an historic first step towards transforming a sector that’s been neglected and ignored for far too long. The result will make a world of difference to people who need care and to their families too.

“The two-tier workforce will be no more, with penny-pinching employers no longer able to treat outsourced workers less favourably than everyone else.

“A new body to negotiate pay for school support staff will bring a much-needed boost for the low-paid, mostly female workforce and attract recruits into currently hard-to-fill roles.

“The bill marks a sea-change in industrial relations after years of worsening workers’ rights and unnecessary hostility towards unions. It’ll stop employees being penalised for going on strike* and bring union ballots into the digital age.

“All this can only help the economy thrive and improve services to the public. Good employers have absolutely nothing to fear, but the bad ones won’t like it one bit.

“This is a complex programme of legislation, and the details will need to be fine-tuned. There’s still much work to do. But the government has stuck to its pledge to overhaul working life, a huge achievement in less than100 days.”

Notes to editors:
– *UNISON won a landmark Supreme Court case earlier this year on behalf of care worker Fiona Mercer. This found that employers should not discipline staff for taking part in legal strikes. The bill will enshrine this in legislation.
– The bill applies to Great Britain and does not cover Northern Ireland. Some measures – the social fair pay agreement, the school support staff negotiating body and a code relating to a two-tier workforce in public procurement – apply only to England.
– 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 Bill will make game-changing improvements to working life, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Bill will make game-changing improvements to working life, says UNISON

Commenting on the publication of the employment rights bill today (Thursday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“At last the lives of millions of employees across the UK look set to change for the better. The bill lays the groundwork for a brighter future for everyone at work.

“There’ll be improved protection from the first day in a job and more family-friendly roles. Bad bosses won’t be able to exploit at whim using dodgy ‘fire and rehire’ tactics, and it’ll be easier for unions to offer support to all employees.

“The means to create a fair pay agreement to increase wages for care workers in England is game-changing. It’s an historic first step towards transforming a sector that’s been neglected and ignored for far too long. The result will make a world of difference to people who need care and to their families too.

“The two-tier workforce will be no more, with penny-pinching employers no longer able to treat outsourced workers less favourably than everyone else.

“A new body to negotiate pay for school support staff will bring a much-needed boost for the low-paid, mostly female workforce and attract recruits into currently hard-to-fill roles.

“The bill marks a sea-change in industrial relations after years of worsening workers’ rights and unnecessary hostility towards unions. It’ll stop employees being penalised for going on strike* and bring union ballots into the digital age.

“All this can only help the economy thrive and improve services to the public. Good employers have absolutely nothing to fear, but the bad ones won’t like it one bit.

“This is a complex programme of legislation, and the details will need to be fine-tuned. There’s still much work to do. But the government has stuck to its pledge to overhaul working life, a huge achievement in less than100 days.”

Notes to editors:
– *UNISON won a landmark Supreme Court case earlier this year on behalf of care worker Fiona Mercer. This found that employers should not discipline staff for taking part in legal strikes. The bill will enshrine this in legislation.
– The bill applies to Great Britain and does not cover Northern Ireland. Some measures – the social fair pay agreement, the school support staff negotiating body and a code relating to a two-tier workforce in public procurement – apply only to England.
– 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 Bill will make game-changing improvements to working life, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Overhaul of working lives is welcome and long overdue

Commenting ahead of the publication of the government’s employment rights bill later today (Thursday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“Shifting the balance to give workers greater rights is long overdue.

“Expectations are high for this bill, which should bring once-in-a-generation changes to the workplace.

“For too long employees have had to suffer poverty wages, intolerable working conditions and discrimination.

“Social care staff, school workers, cleaners and many others do skilled jobs, but have been undervalued and ignored. They deserve so much more.

“Day-one rights, job flexibility, an end to exploitative work practices and measures to ensure unions can be a force for good are what millions of people desperately need.

“This bill will transform workers’ lives for the better.”

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

The article Overhaul of working lives is welcome and long overdue first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Overhaul of working lives is welcome and long overdue

Commenting ahead of the publication of the government’s employment rights bill later today (Thursday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“Shifting the balance to give workers greater rights is long overdue.

“Expectations are high for this bill, which should bring once-in-a-generation changes to the workplace.

“For too long employees have had to suffer poverty wages, intolerable working conditions and discrimination.

“Social care staff, school workers, cleaners and many others do skilled jobs, but have been undervalued and ignored. They deserve so much more.

“Day-one rights, job flexibility, an end to exploitative work practices and measures to ensure unions can be a force for good are what millions of people desperately need.

“This bill will transform workers’ lives for the better.”

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

The article Overhaul of working lives is welcome and long overdue first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Change for the better shows why it was smart to back Labour

Commenting on the deputy prime minister’s speech to the Labour Party conference in Liverpool today (Sunday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“Angela Rayner showed why the UK was right to vote for a Labour government. Under the Tories, working people got a raw deal, both in their jobs and at home.

“But now genuine change has begun. The coming employment rights bill will transform the world of work, leaving shady bosses with nowhere to hide.

“As a former care worker, Angela knows only too well the need for urgent reform of that sector. A fair pay agreement, proper sick pay and an end to exploitative contracts will really make a difference.

“This combined with a complete reboot of social housing will change people’s lives for the better.”

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 Change for the better shows why it was smart to back Labour first appeared on the UNISON National site.