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On Saturday 30th June, UNISON members, activists, branches and self organised groups came together with the local community and other NIC ICTU affiliated unions to commemorate the 70th birthday of our wonderful National Health Service. The event, organised by NIC ICTU, saw parades march from Writers' Square, The Mater Hospital and The Royal Victoria Hospital. The parades merged at the City Hall to hear heartfelt speeches from various health service workers, union officials and the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Deirdre Hargey.

TODAY, the Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Deirdre Hargey stood with workers from across the Health Service and called for the people of Belfast to show their love and support for their NHS.

The event promoted is the trade union march and rally celebrating the 70th birthday of the National Health Service, to be held at 2:30pm Saturday 30 June at Belfast City Hall, following marches from the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Mater Hospital and Writers’ Square.

UNISON views it as completely unacceptable for any workers to be subject to any threats or intimidation of this kind.  We condemn any persons making such threats and expect Runwood Homes to take action to protect our members in their place of work.

 

Union vows to fight for the rights of all people in Northern Ireland

UNISON vowed to support members in Northern Ireland and the union’s structures in the nation to defend the Good Friday Agreement and work for human rights, when its national delegate conference opened for business in Brighton this morning.

Motions on delivering on the promise of the agreement, and protecting human rights and equality in Northern Ireland were at the top of the agenda as delegates began their discussions.

"UNISON is not just a trade union, it is a family,” president Margaret McKee declared as she marked her final presidential week by opening the union’s national delegate conference in Brighton this morning.

She told delegates that it had been a great honour to be president for the past 12 months, though she had her first experience of presidential duties in tragic circumstances the year before, alongside then senior vice president Carol Sewell, when president Eric Roberts tragically died part way through his term.

On Friday 8th June, UNISON’s Head of Bargaining and Representation, Anne Speed, together with trade unions and the Education Authority JNC, signed the Joint Declaration of Protection for Dignity at Work and Inclusive Working Environment.

 

UNISON, the largest Trade Union for health and social care workers in Northern Ireland, will be holding a demonstration today at Quality Care Offices in Belfast to call on the company to provide their homecare workers with better terms and conditions of employment and to meet their obligations under minimum wage legislation. The demonstration will commence at 12 noon to 1pm at Quality Care’s Offices, Castlereagh Road, Belfast.

Today NHS workers in England have endorsed a deal which delivers pay adjustments to the NHS wide Agenda for Change agreement.

Anne Speed Head of Bargaining and Representation has now called “for direct engagement with the Department and Employers to discuss steps that must now be taken to close the pay gap for NHS workers here."

Health staff here she said are no longer prepared to remain at the bottom of the pay list.

A short clip released by The Irish Congress of Trade Unions supporting the campaign to Repeal the 8th.

This documentary tells the story of pregnant women who were diagnosed with fatal foetal abnormality in Irish hospitals. These women travelled aboard for termination because the Irish law denied them this treatment at home. Their group TFMR (Termination for Medical Reasons) are now lobbying to have the law changed.

Produced by artists.

 

Today (14th May 2018) the Department of Health has published a new health and social care workforce strategy for Northern Ireland. Responding to the announcement, UNISON Head of Bargaining and Negotiations Anne Speed said:

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