Library news

Pay freeze will continue “in all but name” unless government departments get extra money

25-10-2021 23:30

Commenting on the announcement that the government is to end the public sector pay freeze UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:
“There’s never a good time to freeze public sector pay. Doing so at the peak of a pandemic was the height of folly.
“Staff were doing their all to keep under-pressure services running, and ministers looked like they didn’t care.
“There can be no decent public services without the people to run them. Pay freezes don&

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H&S survey reveals members feel less safe now than a year ago

25-10-2021 16:28

Last month, UNISON surveyed its health and safety representatives to understand more about the issues members are facing in their workplaces.
Nearly half of respondents said that their employer had not improved ventilation and air circulation in their workplace, with 36% saying that they feel less safe in the workplace now, than they did 12 months ago.
Just under a quarter of respondents reported that their COVID-19 risk assessments had not been reviewed in the last six months and one in four re

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Minimum wage rise – low-income families need boost now

25-10-2021 15:03

Commenting on the announcement today (Monday) that the national minimum wage is to rise to £9.50 in April, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:
“This will do little to compensate for this month’s universal credit cut, nor the hike in national insurance next April.
“Low-income families need a boost now. With everything costing more, poorer households can’t afford to wait until next year.
“The chancellor must also come up with the cash to give school

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New branch resources in the pipeline

25-10-2021 12:57

This June, UNISON’s special delegate conference voted to pass motion 72 – supporting our branches. It was the culmination of two years of work for the branch resources review and offered a package of proposals to provide more regional support and funds, as well as help save activists time.
Proposals include:a new funding scheme for branches;
enhanced bargaining support; and
easier access to resources. For a full list of the proposals, see here.Over the coming weeks and months, UNISON

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Blog: What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger

25-10-2021 09:56

I was born and grew up in Lagos, Nigeria.
My primary, secondary and higher education were in Nigeria. I moved to the United Kingdom in the early 90s with my late husband.
My career in the UK started by working for the local health authority, then Lambeth, Lewisham and Southward health authorities, and the Institute of Psychiatrists respectively between 1994 and 2001.
I joined UNISON in early 2004 as a senior secretary in Greater London Region.
As one of the Black staff members, I won’t say

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