NHS – Union Newswire

Prime Minister should focus on the NHS, not demonise those too sick to work

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s proposals on welfare reform today (Friday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“The Prime Minister has promised and failed to cut NHS waiting lists.
“Worse still, his government has damaged the public services people were once able to rely upon to get better and stay healthy.

“Lengthy waits for NHS operations and treatment have left people languishing at home, too sick or injured to work. That’s a personal tragedy for them and terrible for the economy too.

“Instead of hostile rhetoric on benefits, ministers should be recruiting to fill the huge gaps in the NHS workforce. That would increase capacity and allow more patients to be seen.

“Boosting pay to persuade experienced staff to remain in the health service is key too. But it’s now more than a fortnight since the government should have announced this year’s NHS pay rise.

“Threatening to remove benefits and forcing sick and disabled people further into poverty is most definitely not the way to increase the health of our sick nation.”

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 Prime Minister should focus on the NHS, not demonise those too sick to work first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Prime Minister should focus on the NHS, not demonise those too sick to work

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s proposals on welfare reform today (Friday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“Lengthy waits for NHS operations and treatment have left people languishing at home, too sick or injured to work. That’s a personal tragedy for them and terrible for the economy too.

“Instead of hostile rhetoric on benefits, ministers should be recruiting to fill the huge gaps in the NHS workforce. That would increase capacity and allow more patients to be seen.

“Boosting pay to persuade experienced staff to remain in the health service is key too. But it’s now more than a fortnight since the government should have announced this year’s NHS pay rise.

“Threatening to remove benefits and forcing sick and disabled people further into poverty is most definitely not the way to increase the health of our sick nation.”

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 Prime Minister should focus on the NHS, not demonise those too sick to work first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Christina McAnea leads applause for successful UNISON strikers

There’s power in the union – particularly if that union is UNISON. That was the message at the heart of a speech this morning from general secretary Christina McAnea to UNISON’s national health service group conference in Brighton.

“Look at all you’ve achieved in the past 12 months”, she told delegates.

“Forty-two re-banding deals done across England and Scotland in our Pay Fair for Patient Care campaign. £70 million in back pay – and rising.

“A huge strike in Northern Ireland that forced politicians back into the Northern Ireland Assembly to sort out public sector pay – that’s the power of UNISON.”

Ms McAnea added that the union had live disputes in the South East, Eastern, East Midlands, Northern, North West, South West and London regions, together with live campaigns in Yorkshire and Humberside, West Midlands and Cymru/Wales.

“Our demands and action get results. We are transforming lives … That’s the power of UNISON.”

The big election year

“The Tories can go into the general election with a proud record to stand on. Forty brand new hospitals, a valued and appreciated workforce, NHS pay rises beyond your wildest dreams,” the general secretary quipped, to laughter from delegates.

More seriously, Ms McAnea stressed the need to get the Conservatives out of government and for Labour to replace them.

“While the Tories break promises and let down our most vulnerable in our society, UNISON says we can do better.”

Pointing out that UNISON has been campaigning for a National Social Care service, she said: “Until we fix the crisis in social care, we cannot fix our broken NHS.

“And when a National Care Service has been created – and I do believe it will be – we can look back together and say, ‘we did that – we were part of that’.

And Ms McAnea stressed that the workforce of the NHS – and of a future National Care Service – “should be given decent pay for a day’s work”.

There are also elections taking place in UNISON. Ballots for the service group elections open on 22 April and Ms McAnea urged delegates not only to vote themselves, but to return to their workplaces and persuade their fellow members to vote too.

Celebrating the power of the union

Health conference giving a standing ovation to representatives of successful UNISON strikes, plus a live relay of a picket line in Middlesbrough

After a standing ovation, the union’s acting head of health, Helga Pile, introduced representatives of successful strikes in health from across the union as they came to the front of the hall to join Ms McAnea. They were joined live online from a picket line at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, as conference rose to applaud and celebrate the power of UNISON.

The article Christina McAnea leads applause for successful UNISON strikers first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Christina McAnea leads applause for successful UNISON strikers

“Look at all you’ve achieved in the past 12 months”, she told delegates.

“Forty-two re-banding deals done across England and Scotland in our Pay Fair for Patient Care campaign. £70 million in back pay – and rising.

“A huge strike in Northern Ireland that forced politicians back into the Northern Ireland Assembly to sort out public sector pay – that’s the power of UNISON.”

“Our demands and action get results. We are transforming lives … That’s the power of UNISON.”

The big election year

More seriously, Ms McAnea stressed the need to get the Conservatives out of government and for Labour to replace them.

“While the Tories break promises and let down our most vulnerable in our society, UNISON says we can do better.”

Pointing out that UNISON has been campaigning for a National Social Care service, she said: “Until we fix the crisis in social care, we cannot fix our broken NHS.

“And when a National Care Service has been created – and I do believe it will be – we can look back together and say, ‘we did that – we were part of that’.

And Ms McAnea stressed that the workforce of the NHS – and of a future National Care Service – “should be given decent pay for a day’s work”.

Celebrating the power of the union

Health conference giving a standing ovation to representatives of successful UNISON strikes, plus a live relay of a picket line in Middlesbrough

The article Christina McAnea leads applause for successful UNISON strikers first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to strike for one-off payment, says UNISON

Commenting on the government funding that will now allow thousands of health workers to receive the one-off payment given to NHS staff last year, UNISON head of health Helga Pile said:

“Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to go on strike and lose money to win the cash that’s rightfully theirs.

“Nor should they have had to wait many months for the one-off payments their directly employed NHS colleagues got months ago.

“Private firms, social enterprises and wholly-owned subsidiaries taking on NHS contracts should be driven by motives other than pure profit. Any contractor or organisation running an NHS service should be responsible for the staff it takes on too.

“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.

“If private companies in the NHS don’t want to make that commitment, they shouldn’t be tendering for health service contracts in the first place.”

The article Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to strike for one-off payment, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to strike for one-off payment, says UNISON

Commenting on the government funding that will now allow thousands of health workers to receive the one-off payment given to NHS staff last year, UNISON head of health Helga Pile said:

“Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to go on strike and lose money to win the cash that’s rightfully theirs.

“Nor should they have had to wait many months for the one-off payments their directly employed NHS colleagues got months ago.

“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.

“If private companies in the NHS don’t want to make that commitment, they shouldn’t be tendering for health service contracts in the first place.”

The article Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to strike for one-off payment, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to strike for one-off payment, says UNISON

Commenting on the government funding that will now allow thousands of health workers to receive the one-off payment given to NHS staff last year, UNISON head of health Helga Pile said:

“Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to go on strike and lose money to win the cash that’s rightfully theirs.

“Nor should they have had to wait many months for the one-off payments their directly employed NHS colleagues got months ago.

“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.

“If private companies in the NHS don’t want to make that commitment, they shouldn’t be tendering for health service contracts in the first place.”

The article Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to strike for one-off payment, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Dudley MP raises Mitie strikers’ struggle in the Commons

UNISON members employed by private contractor Mitie at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, in the West Midlands, received support yesterday from local MP Marco Longhi, in their fight to receive a government mandated COVID-19 bonus payment that has been paid to non-medical staff who are directly employed by the NHS.

Having already taken three days of strike action, they will be striking again on 25 and 27 March.

Conservative MP Mr Longhi asked the leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, whether she would support the workers.

He said: “I would like to place on record my thanks to the workers employed by Mitie during the pandemic and encourage the Department of Health and Social Care to work with me and resolve this issue.”

Ms Mordaunt responded that extra funding was being made available for private contractors such as Mitie to apply for money for the extra payment for those not directly employed by the health service.

She added that she would make sure the individual case of the Dudley hospital workers is looked at in a bid to resolve the problem.

Denise Stevens, a domestic at the hospital and a UNISON steward (pictured above on the right), said: “All we are asking for is the same COVID-19 bonus payment that NHS colleagues received last year.

“The support from the local Black Country community has been huge on strike days and throughout this dispute.

“We have received support from the Dudley North MP, Marco Longhi, as well as Labour politicians in the area, demonstrating that our support is widespread and from across the political spectrum.”

Regional organiser Ollie Hopkins added: “Mitie say they can’t afford to pay the bonus, but they have found the money to bus in strike-breaking workers, from Cumbria to Kent, with food provided, paid travel time, accommodation and a voucher offered for covering the strike action.

“The cruel irony, that Mitie say they can’t afford to pay low-paid workers the COVID bonus but can find the money for the strike breaking, has not been lost on the workers.

“As Marco Longhi MP said in Parliament, Mitie wants the taxpayer to cover the payments.

“But with millions in profits, Mitie should stop dragging their feet and waiting for the government to bail them out. Their CEO’s bonus was bigger than the total cost of the 450 Dudley health workers bonuses combined, so they have the money to end this dispute in an instant.”

The NHS workers in a Mitie fight for fair pay

The article Dudley MP raises Mitie strikers’ struggle in the Commons first appeared on the UNISON National site.