The new Immigration White Paper – what it means for you UNISON briefing 14 May 2025
UNISON is aware that there will be great concern and anxiety about the implications of the proposals announced by the Government. While we are still seeking further details and clarifications about the practical implications of the White Paper, we wanted to update you as soon as possible and underline our commitment to fighting for you and your rights.
Figures obtained by UNISON from the Education Authority (EA), show that around 68% of the total classroom assistant workforce working in EA schools are on temporary contracts. Of the 21,815 classroom assistants (including nursery assistants), 14,930 are on temporary contracts. Of those on temporary contracts, 2,727 have been employed by the EA in the same post for more than 4 years.
Following delivery of the 2024/25 pay award at the end of March, the UNISON NI Healthcare Services Group has met to plan next steps in the 2025/26 pay campaign for health and social care workers under Agenda for Change.
UNISON stands in solidarity with the workers and activists in a wide range of Irish language and cultural organisations, including our own members, taking action today over cuts in funding to the cross border body Foras Na Gaeilge. Neither the Irish Government nor the NI Executive can sidestep their responsibilities for delivering on this core commitment in the Peace Agreement. In respect of the NI Executive the time for the partisan use of 'blocking' tactics on funding and other decisions has to be called out once and for all.
Health Trade Unions have received formal confirmation from the Health Minister that he has now approved payment of the full 12 months of the Agenda for Change pay award from 1st April 2024.
UNISON has today received confirmation from the Health Minister that he has approved payment of the full 12 months of the Agenda for Change pay award from 1st April 2024.
This follows commitments made by the Health Minister in December 2024 that pay parity for Agenda for Change would be maintained for 2024/25, with a 5.5% uplift to be put in place.
Following engagement between UNISON, other health unions and the Health Minister on the lack of funding to implement the Pay Review Body award of 5.5% on AfC pay bands for 2024/25, we secured commitments in December that pay parity would be maintained, with the pay award being applied in 2 stages.
Health Trade Unions have received formal commitment from the Minister and in a Department of Health memorandum that pay parity in AFC pay bands will be maintained for the full year 2024/2025.
Implementation of the Pay Review Body Pay award of 5.5% will now be prepared. The Minister has advised that he will immediately provide funding for the cost of 10 months and has plans to secure funding for the balance of 2 months in the January monitoring round.
During a series of meetings unions were provided details of the intense pressures on the Northern Ireland Executive budget.
Our health committee met recently to receive an update on a round of meetings with the Health minister and DOH officials. The starting point was the absence of funding to enable implementation of the Pay Review Body award of 5.5% on AFC pay bands. It was confirmed that the absence of specific ring fenced funding from the UK Treasury was making it very difficult to give guarantees that a full award covering the 12 months of 2024 to 2025 would be available.
STATEMENT FROM HSC TRADE UNIONS NORTHERN IRELAND - 21st NOVEMBER 2024
Following an update from the Department of Health on the Executive discussion on public sector pay, Health Trade Unions in Northern Ireland reaffirmed our position that the Pay Review Body (PRB) recommendation should be implemented in full.
Furthermore, the Health Trade Unions insisted that any pay offer must ensure pay parity be backdated to 1st of April 2024.
