National media team
These numbers are for media use only, not for queries about membership or general enquiries about the union.
Anthony Barnes is on duty for the bank holiday weekend of 4/5/6 May. If you’ve already sent an email, please do follow up with a call, text or WhatsApp to ensure we’ve seen. Many thanks
Liz Chinchen E: l.chinchen@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
Commenting on the news today (Friday) that the government has abandoned its plans to force all maintained schools still linked to local authorities to become academies, UNISON head of education Jon Richards said: “It’s reassuring that ministers have listened to the many arguments put to them and decided against pursing their ill-thought-out plans to force […]
Commenting on the decision today (Thursday) by the Academies Transformation Trust (ATT) to announce jobs cuts and a major restructuring across its secondary and primary schools in the East and West Midlands, and the East of England, UNISON head of education Jon Richards said: “This decision has come as a bolt from the blue, and […]
More than half (52%) of school support staff across the UK have experienced stress, anxiety or depression as they struggle to cope with their workloads, according to a new survey published today (Tuesday) by UNISON. Two-fifths (41.5%) of those who took part in the survey said they had difficulty in completing their work, and more […]
Fatal accident involving ambulance staff in North Wales has ‘devastated’ colleagues
Commenting on the debate today (Wednesday) in the Commons that has seen the government accept many of the Trade Union Bill amendments made last week in the Lords, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “Without these significant changes, unions representing working people across the UK would have found it hard to continue doing what they […]
Following a meeting of local government representatives from across UNISON, the union has decided today (Wednesday) to accept the pay offer from the employers. Head of local government Heather Wakefield said: “Having talked to members in local government across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, we’ve decided that there are to be no further consultations and […]
Poor quality hospital food is undermining the health of NHS workers, a survey from UNISON and the Campaign for Better Hospital Food (CBHF) warns today (Wednesday). Nurses and other health employees are being forced to survive on fast food – or on poor quality vending machine snacks – because hospitals are failing to provide proper […]
Responding to the announcement of the Hillsborough inquest verdict, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said: “After 27 years of lies and cover-ups, the families of the 96 finally have justice. This has been a struggle that united a city and then a nation behind the battle for truth and accountability. “For too long, smears in […]
Ambulance workers in England are to be asked if they would be prepared to take action over pay. Their three unions – GMB, Unite and UNISON – today (Monday) announced they will be consulting ambulance staff over pay and grading – issues they say should have been dealt with a year ago. Ambulance staff are […]
Safe staffing levels across the NHS have worsened significantly in the last year, according to UNISON’s UK-wide annual survey of nursing professionals published today (Monday), at the start of its annual health conference in Brighton. The 2016 survey, conducted on Tuesday 9 February, found that almost two-thirds – 63%, up from 45% the previous year […]
Ambulance staff, including paramedics, are to be balloted over whether they would be prepared to take industrial action over pay, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis announced today (Monday). Speaking on the eve of the all-out junior doctors’ strike, he warned they will be next on the picket line unless Jeremy Hunt honours promises made a […]
Many hospitals are treating apprentices as cheap labour by routinely paying them the minimum wage, even though they often do exactly the same jobs as colleagues earning considerably more, according to a UNISON report published today (Sunday). More than a third of employers across the NHS are hiring apprentices at the statutory minimum of £3.30 […]
Responding to official figures released today (Thursday) that show serious crime is still rising, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “The reduction in resources for police forces was bound to have consequences for crime, as these new figures show. “Government cuts to budgets have meant almost a third fewer police community support officers and a […]
The union sets out to highlight how ‘lazy political hits’ damage morale and the relationship of trust between patients and staff (Cymru/Wales)
Even on the proper living wage, it would take nearly 130 years for the lowest paid employees in the water industry to earn the same as the highest paid director in the sector does in 12 months, according to new research published by UNISON today (Wednesday). This analysis of pay at the UK’s 19 water […]
