Well done - You are making a difference!
To All UNISON members
WELL DONE - YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!
UNISON members, your commitment and dedication in the health dispute has been outstanding. My personal thanks and congratulations to every one of you for taking a stand against pay injustice and unsafe staffing. You have paved the way for your rights and those of your health care colleagues.
You have also achieved something historic that no one else could in recent years. You demanded that all our political leaders collectively backed your campaign and they have now done so. The sacrifices you have made in these last weeks have made the crisis in health and social services the number one priority in our Society.
I commend each of you for the leadership you have shown throughout our industrial action. The decisions you have made took courage and show great responsibility. Our aim has been to protect patients and clients while demanding pay justice and saying enough is enough.
We have been overwhelmed with messages of solidarity and support from patients and the public, and also from other trade unionists not only across Ireland and Britain but from Europe and further afield.
In the New Year we will turn our attention back to our elected political representatives. We now want their publicly stated support for our cause to translate into action – starting with paying you what you are owed! We will now hold them to their word on promises that were made, and letters that were signed.
We will not let your struggle be used as political leverage. We do want to see the return of a devolved Government on the basis of an equality and human rights framework. We are reminding our politicians that the health and wellbeing of the People is the key equality and human rights issue across our society. The resolution to the crisis in our health service is an absolute priority for this to be achieved.
UNISON is fully committed to achieving pay justice for all health and social care workers in Northern Ireland. Thank you for taking a stand.
The fight goes on. We have notified all employers that the work to rule for everyone now extends to 31 January. Good Luck and Well Done!
