National media team
These numbers are for media use only, not for queries about membership or general enquiries about the union. If you email outside office hours, please do follow up with a call, text or WhatsApp message so you can be sure that we’ve seen.
Liz Chinchen E: press@unison.co.uk M: 07778 158175
Fatima Ayad E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk M: 07508 080383
Anthony Barnes E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk M: 07834 864794
Responding to government plans to reform school funding UNISON head of education Jon Richards said: “Schools that are already underfunded will get much less than they’d hoped for. “Other highly rated schools in better resourced areas will see their budgets cut further still to fund those currently failing. “Good education doesn’t come cheap. Schools need […]
The role of a paramedic will be re-banded nationally, giving paramedics the opportunity to earn more as they progress. The Department of Health, NHS Employers and ambulance unions have agreed paramedics will be re-banded nationally from band 5 to band 6. This new deal will see paramedics in England move up the pay scale from […]
Australian company Macquarie’s successful bid for the National Grid’s distribution business has been greeted with dismay today (Thursday) by public services union UNISON. The union – which has thousands of members working in the utilities sector – says when Macquarie ran Thames Water, the end result was poorer customer service, higher bills, massive debts, complex […]
Derby teaching assistants are to take six days of strike action in the long-running dispute over cuts to their pay, UNISON has announced today (Wednesday). School support staff will take action next week and the week after (14, 15, 19 and 20 December) and then again in the new year (19 and 20 January). The […]
Three days strike action this week (6 – 8 December) by Durham teaching assistants have been called off to allow time for further talks aimed at settling the dispute, says UNISON. The union is keen for urgent progress to end the long-running dispute with the county council over the proposed move to term-time contracts. But […]
Strike action involving teaching assistants that was due to affect schools across County Durham today (Thursday) has been called off
An ambulance worker from Berwick and a day centre receptionist from Belfast are the first ever winners of the Our Health Heroes awards, set up to celebrate the work of the thousands of support staff who keep the NHS running behind the scenes. Iain Scott and Elizabeth Cameron received their awards today (Tuesday) at a special ceremony hosted by Skills for Health, the National […]
Derby teaching assistants have voted by nine to one to reject the latest offer from the council to settle the long-running dispute over their new contracts. School support staff across the city have now taken seven days of strike action – and three weeks of lunchtime protests – over the council’s decision to cut their […]
Commenting on the complete absence of help in the Autumn Statement for social care or the NHS, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “Hopes were raised the Chancellor would conjure up extra cash for social care, and ease the burden on the NHS and local councils struggling to keep a lid on the growing crisis. […]
Commenting on the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement today (Wednesday) UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “Despite all the rhetoric, the previous Chancellor’s austerity plan is still very much intact. There was precious little, if anything, for our beleaguered public services. “The government is spreading the ‘jam’ far too thinly. Public service workers and the health, education […]
More than 100 primary schools across County Durham will be affected tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday as teaching assistants strike for a second time in a long-running dispute over cuts to their pay. School support staff plan to protest at dozens of picket lines across the county over the two days. This will mean the closure […]
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are facing long waits for appointments at gender identity clinics and being denied specialist mental health counselling because of cutbacks, says new research published today (Tuesday) by UNISON. Sexual health and youth support has also been scaled down. This has resulted in reduced opening hours, cuts to the […]
