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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 is on duty for the Easter break. Please call or text if you have an urgent media enquiry as emails won’t be monitored regularly.

Liz Chinchen E: press@unison.co.uk M: 07778 158175
Fatima Ayad E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk M: 07508 080383

Living wage in the water industry

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 […]

Compulsory redundancies at British Gas will be hard to avoid, says UNISON

Commenting on the news that 700 British Gas jobs are to go in the West Midlands, with the closure of the Oldbury service/call centre near Birmingham, UNISON national energy officer Matt Lay said: “This is terrible news for the company’s Birmingham-based employees, who will be devastated at the prospect of losing their jobs. British Gas […]

UNISON welcomes government change of heart over check-off

Dave Prentis comments on the announcement in the Lords that the government is no longer to stop unions from collecting members’ subs via their pay packets

No-one should believe the NHS claims made by Brexit campaign says UNISON

Responding to the claim by senior members of the Brexit campaign that there would be more money for the NHS were the UK to leave Europe, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “It’s nonsense to say there would be more money for the NHS were the UK to vote to leave Europe in June. “These […]

No consultation on Ceredigion council cuts

UNISON is furious at public funding payout to firm advising on cuts

UNISON to campaign for the UK to stay in Europe

UNISON is to campaign for the UK to stay part of the European Union, and will be encouraging its 1.3 million members to vote remain on 23 June. The decision was taken today (Wednesday) at a meeting of the union’s governing NEC, and follows an extensive UK-wide consultation and survey across UNISON’s branches. The fear […]

Low-income workers urged to claim tax credits before universal credit arrives

https://twitter.com/unisontweets/status/719469133398732800 Across the country the one million people in low-paid jobs who have yet to apply for tax credits should hurry up and do so before it’s too late and universal credit arrives in their area, say UNISON and benefit experts Entitledto today (Monday). The two organisations have issued this urgent appeal to low-income workers […]

Chancellor creating a northern poorhouse with universal credit cuts, says UNISON

Nearly 31,000 working people in the North West stand to lose out as government cuts to universal credit work allowances kick in from today (Monday) warns UNISON. Cuts to universal credit were announced in last July’s 2015 Budget alongside changes to tax credits. While the chancellor backed down over tax credits, the planned reduction in […]

Government confirms future financial pain for healthcare students, says UNISON

The government’s health bursaries consultation launched today (Thursday) will saddle nursing students with huge debts of at least £50,000, says UNISON. UNISON head of health Christina McAnea said: “This consultation is meaningless. It’s clear that the government has already made up its mind to replace bursaries with loans and fees. “Replacing the bursary system with loans […]

Swansea council staff protest over car parking

Anger at strategy that is making ‘difficult problem worse’

EDF living wage commitment welcome, says UNISON

Commenting on EDF Energy’s announcement today (Thursday) that the company has become a living wage employer, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said: “This is good news for all those staff, contractors and suppliers who will benefit from being paid the living wage. “It shows that companies can pay decent wages and remain competitive and puts […]

Temporary relief for the NHS as nurses stay on the UK’s job shortage list, says UNISON

Commenting on the announcement from the Migration Advisory Committee –that nurses are to be allowed to remain on the occupational shortages list for another three years – UNISON head of nursing Gail Adams said: “The NHS is still desperately short of nurses, so hospital trusts across the country will have breathed a collective sigh of […]

UNISON calls for action to end the homecare wages scandal

Tens of thousands of care workers across England and Wales are still being paid less than the minimum wage because councils are not insisting that homecare companies pay staff their travel time, a UNISON report is warning today (Wednesday). More than three quarters (76 per cent) of councils in England don’t stipulate in their contracts […]

Serious crime rises as police numbers fall, warns UNISON

Serious crime is on the rise again after years of steady falls in offending, and UNISON believes government cutbacks in policing are to blame. Keen to encourage people to vote in the police and crime commissioner elections on 5 May, UNISON is launching a campaign to provide the public with the facts about police cuts. […]

Extra funding for flood defences welcome but don’t forget staff on the ground, says UNISON

Welcoming the Chancellor’s decision to increase tax insurance to pay for flood defences, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said: “More funding for flood defences should help save people the pain of washed out homes and businesses. “During the recent storms, when flood defences were breached and rivers burst their banks, at times there weren’t enough […]

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