Is VS in the water industry the answer?

The present system of outperformance as practiced by most of the water companies in the UK industry is unsustainable and dangerous to both those working in the industry and the general public. To make more money for our owners the companies keep reducing the workforce either by redundancies, restructures or by leaving vacancies unfilled and […]

The threat of EU trade agreements to public services

Conference notes that the European Union (EU) and the United States have started negotiations on a new trade agreement, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Conference also notes that EU and Canada have finalised negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and that the EU is also negotiating the Trade in Services […]

Pay Determination

Conference recognises and welcomes the decision taken by UNISON Health Conference in 2014 in passing Composite D that called upon the Health Service Group Executive to “explore how a new system of collective bargaining over pay and conditions with employers and the governments of the UK and the devolved nations could be achieved if independence […]

Low pay in the NHS

Conference calls on the Service Group Executive to prioritise and launch a campaign of highlighting the plight of our lowest paid members and hardships that they face on daily basis. Over the last 5 plus years we have seen a real reduction on the expendable income of all our members however our Band 1 members […]

Catering Services for all NHS staff – more than a soggy sandwich

Conference welcomes the Take Your Breaks Campaign run as part of the current pay campaign in England. For NHS staff to take their breaks, they need to have somewhere that they can eat in peace. Healthcare is a 24 hour service with staff who work throughout the day and night. Historically hospitals would have their […]

Nurse Staffing Levels

Conference believes that the level of staffing of registered nurses in wards remains poor across the four countries that make up the UK. In Scotland, NHS Boards have to use the National Workforce and Workload Planning Tools. This can put too much emphasis on ‘professional judgement’ and can still lead to reduced staffing levels on […]

NHS Pay Campaign

Conference congratulates health branches and the health service group executive on the industrial action taken to date as part of the NHS pay dispute. Conference notes that NHS workers continue to see the value of their pay being cut year on year as a result of the pay policies of governments across the UK and […]

People Before Profits

UNISON members note in October the words of Andy Burnham “People before profits… no one gave the prime minister permission to put the NHS up for sale”. Conference welcomes his comments and those later in November that he wishes to return to an integrated health service which includes social care as part of the NHS. […]

Retirement Age for Healthcare workers

Health Conference is well aware and very concerned that thanks to the Tory led government the retirement age for all NHS workers will be increased to 67 years old. The detrimental impact on the health of all members forced to work until their last day at work will be significant, but in particularly there will […]

Mental Health Services

Conference notes that mental health services are arguably in crisis. They have never necessarily achieved commensurate funding with general health care services, and the austerity policies of this government have hit mental health services disproportionately. There are extant problems with capacity, leading to large numbers of patients being transferred out of area. Whole swathes of […]

The Impact of 12 Hour Shifts

Conference notes the increase in recent years in the demand for nursing staff to work 12 hours, and other long shift patterns. While recognising that they are popular with some members we are aware that in some clinical areas there are significant concerns. The risk of fatigue leading to drug errors and their long term […]

Negotiating an End to Disability Discrimination

Conference is concerned that changes to Agenda for Change that came into effect in April 2013 were not Equality Impact Assessed to measure the disproportionate effect on disabled health workers. Circulars issued by NHS Employers make no reference to scrutiny undertaken with regard to disability aspects of the revised terms and conditions and no separate […]

Organising in New NHS Bodies: Prepared and Proactive – Not Reactive

In 2015, it will be two years since we saw the implementation of this coalition government’s so called reforms to the health service and commissioning arrangements in England. The end of the purchaser / provider split, the end of primary care trusts, strategic health authorities, central services, and health protection agencies. In their place we […]

Campaign for Pay increases for Agency workers in the NHS

Conference notes 1.5 million people in the UK are employed by Employment Agencies, with around 350,000 people receiving less than the minimum wage. Very few employment agencies paying below the minimum wage have faced any legal action or been fined, despite breaking employment laws. In October 2014, the minimum wage for adults rose by 19p […]

Developing Black Members in the NHS Workforce

Conference notes the over-representation of Black workers in the lower paid roles in the NHS; particularly bands 1-4. The staff in bands 1-4 make up around 40% of the 1.3 million workers in the NHS and are responsible for an estimated 60% of direct patient contact. However these workers receive less than 20% of the […]