News

Dear Member

At the Branch Executive Committee Meeting held on September, the Branch nominated Heather Wakefield for UNISON General Secretary.

Heather has been a supporter of the Branch and attended our Branch AGM in 2014.

On 9th November you will receive a postal ballot paper for the election of UNISON’s next General Secretary.
 

The NHS 111 Service is the non emergency helpline used by people across the West Midlands and today UNISON are raising concerns over the future of the service.
West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) have run the service since 2013 when it took over providing non emergency telephone advice from NHS Direct. The service is commissioned by Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG for the whole of the West Midlands and earlier this year put out to tender a temporary contract to run the service until the full 5 year contract is awarded early next year.

If pay austerity is over MPs, it should end for other public sector workers too, says UNISON

Commenting on the confirmation last week that MPs are to receive a 10 per cent pay rise, Ravi Subramanian, UNISON West Midlands Regional Secretary said:

"Pay austerity might be over for MPs, but it goes on and on for everyone else in the public sector.

If pay restraint is at an end for politicians – who are public servants too – it should also be over for nurses, teaching assistants, hospital cleaners, council staff and other public sector workers.

Dear Colleagues

Today UNISON issued the strike notification to Barnet Council for a 24 hour strike on Wednesday 8 July 2015.

We have chosen this date as it is the day that Osborne unleashes his £12 billion cuts on the disabled, low paid workers. It is also the day that he confirms the ending of Council funding by 2020.

I am proud that we are carrying on the fighting spirit shown at our UNISON conference by the Glasgow Homeless case workers and the Glasgow UNISON branches campaign to reinstate Rab O’Donnell.