Speaking after the Education Minister Peter Weir set a target date of Monday 17 August for some pupils to return to school, the Chair of the NIC-ICTU Education Group Denise Walker ( has stated that: “It is now abundantly and alarmingly clear that the Minister of Education has no intention of engaging in proper consultation with trade unions.
UNISON notes the publication (9th June) by the Minister of Health, Robin Swann MLA, of the Strategic Framework for Rebuilding Health and Social Care Services and the creation of a new Management Board for the health service.
UNISON deeply regrets the death of our friend and comrade Eileen Sweeney and sends condolence to Eileen's family and to Patricia King, General Secretary ICTU. She will be a great loss to our movement.
UNISON, the largest union in the health and social care system, has welcomed the latest announcement from Shane Devlin, the Chief Executive of the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, that Daisy Hill Hospital will be fully functioning and that emergency medicine will soon return.
UNISON notes and welcomes the announcement by the Minister of Health, Robin Swann MLA, that the Department of Health will provide funding for care homes to pay staff 80% of their salary when on sick leave for Covid-19 related reasons. UNISON Regional Secretary Patricia McKeown said:
UNISON has received the attached letter from the Minister for Education, Peter Weir MLA, explaining the approach the Department of Education intends to take in relation to the reopening of schools. UNISON has been engaging throughout the Covid-19 pandemic with the Department to ensure that the concerns of our members are heard and acted upon. We will continue to do so as part of the process around the reopening of schools. Members should continue to check our UNISON website and social media sites for updates as the planning around the reopening of schools continues.
Denise Walker, the chair of the Education Trade Union Group, representing unions with members working at all levels of education, has called on the NI Executive to ensure the continuance over the summer of the successful emergency measure to provide payments to almost 97,000 children entitled to free school meals who are receiving payments of £27 every fortnight per child instead.
On the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, UNISON assistant general secretary Christina McAnea looks at the fight we still face
UNISON notes the statement today (22nd May) by the Minister of Health, Robin Swann MLA that actions are being taken to relocate residents from Clifton Nursing Home in Belfast due to ongoing concerns at the way it is being run.
