UNISON has pledged strong support for the NIC-ICTU Better Work, Better Lives campaign today with massive turnouts at the launch. Our activists cover every constituency and look forward to working with our colleagues across the movement.
Launch of major trade union campaign Tuesday 21 November 10:30, Girdwood Hub, Belfast
Trades unionists play part in major NI-wide campaign for proper wages, decent work & essential investment
Today (13 November 2017) the Northern Ireland budget 2017/18 has been published and is due to be approved at Westminster. Responding to the budget, UNISON Regional Secretary Patricia McKeown said:
‘‘Despite the ‘spin’ put on it by the Secretary of State, today’s budget announcement is not good news for Northern Ireland.
It is bad news for children and young people in schools, bad news for health and social services and bad news for public sector workers.
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.
