Speaking on behalf of the NIC-ICTU Education Group ahead of next Monday’s NI budget statement from Secretary of State James Brokenshire, its Chair Gerry Murphy commented:
“Trade unions representing education support service workers welcome the declaration by many school principals that they will not implement further cuts. We have common cause with their resistance.
In September Health Trade Unions in Northern Ireland joined their English, Scottish and Welsh counterparts in making public a claim for a fair pay rise and a universal lifting of the public sector pay cap.
NHS Staff in Northern Ireland are suffering a minimum 3% deficit in pay compared to colleagues in the other regions and with the costs of living rising, dedicated Health workers here are suffering financial loss whilst pressure on workers mount, workloads increase, and services suffer.
The UNISON Organising Awards for 2017 took place on Thursday 22nd March 2018 in the Belfast Castle.
The awards took the chance to showcase the work that UNISON branches across Northern Ireland had successfully completed in 2017 and were attended by branches, regional staff, members of the NEC and the UNISON president Margaret McKee.
At it’s November meeting, UNISON’s social care forum responded to recent media report where advocacy groups for senior people and independent domiciliary care providers claim that social care provision is crumbling.
Anne Speed Head of Bargaining and Representation for UNISON across Northern Ireland and member of the all Ireland Executive Council of the Irish Congress of Trade unions said;
We are pleased to have played a part with our colleague trade unions in commissioning this groundbreaking survey Abortion as aworkplace issue.
For the first time trade unions have direct access to members’ experience of the very real impact on women in the workplace making the choice to terminate a pregnancy.
Noeleen Beattie organiser in the Education spoke to the October meeting of NILGA on the pay claim served by all unions operating in the NJC pay system across the UK
In Northern Ireland support service workers are covered by NJC agreement. NILGA is a member of the employers UK negotiating body on pay terms and conditions.
Noeleen emphasised the following aspects of the pay claim:
UNISON supports the campaign for safer and healthier work, so promotes the European Health and Safety Week and the UK National Inspection Day on the Wednesday of the Week.
This year’s theme remains “Healthy workplaces for all ages” and good workplace design and well managed health and safety benefit all of those at work; whether young, old, or in-between.
Today (13 October 2017) UNISON, the largest union in the health service, will challenge all five Health Trust Boards to refuse to comply with a demand for cuts.
UNISON representatives will speak at all five Trust Board meetings and are expected to say:
‘‘Chair, Board members
We start our contribution by paying tribute to the public and our members who have spearheaded a public campaign over the past 6 weeks – a campaign that has very publically rejected these outrageous and dangerous cuts.
Today (11 October 2017) the Department of Health has announced that £40 million has been found for the health and social care budget, following on from a proposed £70 million in cuts across the five Health and Social Care Trusts. Responding to this announcement, UNISON Regional Secretary Patricia McKeown said:
‘‘It comes as no surprise that the Department of Health has had to give way in the face of People Power. The public was always going to reject outrageous proposals to strip older people of their right to care and inflict further hardship on patients on waiting lists.
