- Conference
- 2025 National Retired Members Conference
- Date
- 6 June 2025
- Decision
- Carried
Motion from Birmingham UNISON Retired Members Section
Withdrawal of immigration Visas and resultant impact on Social Care
Conference notes with growing concern the Labour government’s response to the increase in the vote for the Reform Party in the May 2025 local government and Mayoral elections, and the Runcorn and Helsby by-election.
Of particular concern is the proposal from the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, for the withdrawal of work Visas for 50,000 immigrant workers in the lower skilled sector, a large proportion of whom would be vital for working in the Health and Social care sector.
This is at a time when the Health and Social Care sector has 131,000 unfilled posts, and an annual turnover rate of workers of over 30 percent.
This will have a direct impact on our Retired Members, many of whom are heavy users of the health service and dependent on Social Care to assist with their daily living needs. It also comes at a time when the Labour government has yet to produce a plan for funding for the provision of Adult Social Care, and is not expected to do so in the lifetime of this Parliament.
Conference would like to congratulate our General Secretary Christina McAnea, for saying that the NHS would be ‘on its knees’ if it were not for the migrant workers.
Conference therefore calls on the National Retired Members Committee to work in conjunction with our General Secretary, and the NEC and in particular the National Labour Link Committee to oppose and campaign against the Labour government’s Visa proposals, that will inflict restrictions on those who are invaluable to working in the Health and Social Care sector, which will inevitably impact Retired Members.