Library news

Local government staff deserve better from ministers

12-06-2022 17:32

Ministers must fund local government properly or vital public services are at risk of destruction, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea warned today (Sunday).
Speaking at UNISON’s local government conference in Brighton, she paid tribute to the work public service staff did to help communities through the pandemic.
She said: “I know that workers in councils, schools, care homes, and in the community went above and beyond during Covid.
“Headlines may have told a story

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COVID dominates start of UNISON local government conference

12-06-2022 17:10

Hundreds of UNISON members gathered in Brighton earlier today for the start of the union’s local government service group conference, chaired by president Paul Holmes.
Presenting the service group committee’s annual report, chair Glen Williams railed against the country’s wealth inequality that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The total wealth of super rich increased 22% during the first 12 months of the pandemic, whilst our pay has decreased by 25% over 12

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‘Let’s show the government our anger – and our strength’

12-06-2022 17:03

“Please, please join us this Saturday, 18 June in London. Join the whole trade union movement – and let’s show the government our anger, our outrage, but above all, let’s show them our strength.”
That was the clarion call from Christina McAnea today, as she addressed UNISON’s local government service group conference in Brighton.
It was the first live conference for the sector group since the pandemic began and she used the opportunity to convey a message of h

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The real challenge

12-06-2022 15:16 via publiclibrariesnews.com

EditorialThe Summer Reading Challenge for children, this year themed as “Gadgeteers”, is officially launching in England on Saturday 9 July. It’s by far the biggest promotion that public libraries put on each year and has the highest profile in the public mind. Ask most parents, at least in my limited and biased experience, and they’re likely to know about it. Primary schools too. And this is especially key for the sector this year, as both parents and schools are intense

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Ministers are provoking a fight with unions to serve their own ends

12-06-2022 15:10

Responding to proposed legal changes to allow agency workers to fill in for striking staff, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said today (Sunday): “The government’s focus should be on a plan to help the country through the cost-of-living crisis, not engineering a distracting spat with unions.
“Using agency workers isn’t safe and only serves to sour relations between employers and their employees.
“The Prime Minister should give health, care, council, sc

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