Please take a minute to sign the Northern Region Young Members’ E-petition to raise the minimum wage for under 21 year olds, which the government unfairly froze at £4.98 in the recent budget, whilst at the same time giving tax cuts to those earning over £150,000. Please also circulate it to everyone you know! We’re aiming for 100,000 signatures so that it has to be debated in parliament…
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/33865
UNISON’s Dave Prentis, General Secretary and David Milliband, MP, have joined forces to campaign for a living wage in colleges following UNISON’s survey that showed 55% of colleges in England are not paying the Living Wage to many of their in-house staff including nursery nurses, cleaners and kitchen assistants in Further Education.
A joint letter was sent to those colleges not paying the living wage, calling on them to commit to relieving the financial hardship of staff, urging them to negotiate a living wage for low paid staff. As part of the national pay deal for 2011/12, the Association of Colleges recommended that all colleges in England increase their minimum hourly rate of pay to at least £7.20 an hour.
We are pleased to announce that New College Durham is the first to sign up to the Campaign.
Clare Williams Regional Convenor, said, “This is good news and shows that our campaign for a living wage can be won even in these difficult times. The cost of everyday essentials such as food and fuel just keeps going up and workers are really struggling. It shows that we can be successful with real benefits to our low paid members”
South Tyneside PSA handed over hundreds of postcards to David Miliband on Thursday 29 March 2012 to fight to protect the children and young people paediatric services at South Tyneside District Hospital. We expressed our concerns aswell as members of the public’s concerns about the proposals to change how the paediatric services will be run at South Tyneside District Hospital. If the proposal’s goes through then this will mean any children or young people who need more that 24-hour care will be moved to Sunderland Royal Hospital or Newcastle RVI. This will have a financial impact on families who will need to travel further to visit their sick children. This will also mean a strain on beds within Sunderland Royal and Newcastle RVI. We need more investment putting in the NHS not a cost cutting exercise. Please see link media link below:
http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/health/campaigners-take-children-s-ward-fight-to-mp-1-4404305
Key health activists of UNISON, the UK’s largest union, have voted to hold a
ballot of 450,000 health members over the Government’s proposals for
a new NHS pension scheme. Read more »
Housing voice is the campaign alliance established to champion the needs for more affordable homes to buy or rent.
We would like to hear opinions from as wide a group of organisations as possible. So we are hosting a half day seminar on:
Date: Tuesday 27 March 2012
Time: 12:00 Lunch for 12:40 start. Finish at 16:30
Venue: The Vermont Hotel, Newcastle.
For more information you can download the flyer HERE
To reserve a space email Julie Wynn – j.wynn@unison.co.uk or call 0191 245 0879.
The latest activity aimed at stopping the Government’s crazy plans for the NHS took place outside the “Sage” in Gateshead where Lib/Dems had gathered for their ‘Spring’ Conference. Thousands of Trade Unionists came together under the Northern Regional Public Services Alliance banner on Newcastle Quayside and marched across the Millennium Bridge to Baltic Square to make their voices heard. Speakers included, Clare Williams, UNISON Regional Convenor, Ian Mearns, M.P. for Gateshead, Kevin Rowan, TUC Regional Secretary, Dave Anderson M.P. for Blaydon and many other concerned individuals who warned of the dire consequences for the NHS if the Bill goes ahead and the political ramifications facing Lib/Dem politicians who risk losing all credibility for supporting it. Read more »
‘The ‘Save the NHS’ rally at the Queen Elizabeth hospital on Wednesday 7th March was well supported by staff, members of the public, UNISON and other trade unions. We were able to talk to members of the public about the implications of the proposed Health and Social Care bill and gather more signatures for the petition.
the latest news from UNISON
