News

UNISON, alongside other unions representing 750,000 council and school support staff across England, Wales and Northern Ireland have criticised the 1.5% pay offer made by the Local Government Association.

UNISON, along with other unions, submitted a joint pay claim to the local government employers in February for a 10% pay rise. This would be payable from 1 April 2021.

Our joint claim represents a decent wage rise that’s both necessary to put a stop to poverty pay in local government and schools, and recognises the crucial role played by staff during the pandemic.

Moves by Israel to ethnically cleanse the Sheikh Jarrah district of East Jerusalem of its Palestinian residents to make way for extremist Jewish Settlers has led to violence around the Al Aqsa mosque and in Gaza and Israel. You will have probably seen images on broadcast and printed media of the suppression of Palestinian demonstrations by armed Israeli police and of rocket fire and arial bombardment of civilian areas.

I wish to draw your attention to a number of church statements about this distressing situation in which people are being killed and injured.

Trade unions in Britain and Ireland express our profound condemnation of the terrible state violence currently taking place in Colombia.

UNISON welcomes today’s announcement by the Minister of Health, Robin Swann MLA, where he has indicated he intends to establish a Social Care Fair Work Forum to include HSC bodies, trade unions and employers. Commenting on the Minister’s announcement, UNISON Regional Secretary Patricia McKeown said: