Latest news with #McAnea
The Guardian
03-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Unison chief tells staff at Reform-controlled councils to sign up to union
The head of the UK's biggest union has urged staff at Reform UK-controlled councils to sign up after Nigel Farage warned workers to seek 'alternative careers'. Farage said during a speech on Friday that he would advise council staff working on diversity or climate change initiatives to seek 'alternative careers very, very quickly' after Reform UK took control of Durham county council. The Clacton MP's party made major gains in Thursday's local elections, picking up 10 councils and more than 600 seats. The party also won two mayoral races and secured a fifth MP in Runcorn and Helsby with Sarah Pochin. Responding to Farage's comments, Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: 'Unions are there to ensure no one can play fast and loose with the law. 'Any staff working for councils now controlled by Reform, and who aren't yet members, should sign up so they can be protected too.' Farage has said he wants a British equivalent of Doge – referring to the Elon Musk's so-called 'department of government efficiency', which is slashing government spending in the US, in every council. 'We want to give council tax payers better value for money. We want to reduce excessive expenditure,' he said. On Saturday, a newly elected Reform UK councillor said Durham county council would be 'getting the auditors in' right away to slash spending in areas like net zero and green initiatives. 'We're getting the auditors in to see … actually what those jobs are, and if they're good value for money, and if they're not, well, the answer is, 'Yeah, goodbye',' Darren Grimes, a Durham councillor and former GB News presenter told the Today programme. McAnea said the new Reform UK councillors have 'much to learn about local government' and will 'quickly discover there's nothing left to cut and many authorities are balancing on the edge of the financial precipice'. She said: 'This is not the US. Thankfully, workers in the UK have laws to protect them from bad employers. 'And soon employees will get even more protection from unscrupulous bosses when the government's new employment rights come in. 'Most local authorities would love to be doing their core work, as Mr Farage says. But they simply don't have the staff nor the resources to do even that.' The newly elected Greater Lincolnshire mayor, Andrea Jenkyns, has also cited her intentions to cut inclusion officers at the authority. She secured her position after receiving nearly 40,000 more votes than the Conservative candidate, Rob Waltham. A source from Staffordshire county council, which converted to Reform after the party secured 49 seats in this week's election, told the Guardian that the authority did not currently employ any staff who focused on diversity initiatives. Regarding McAnea's comments, a Reform UK spokesperson told the Guardian: 'Union members across the country voted for Reform UK on Thursday. 'Instead of attacking us, they should try and understand why so many of their members are supporting us and joining as members.'
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hospital staff strike in dispute over back pay
Dozens of hospital staff took part in strike action in a dispute over back pay for healthcare assistants in Nottingham. UNISON union said the dispute was down to band 2 staff taking on greater responsibilities without being paid the difference. Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) agreed to pay workers back pay from August 2021 to August 2024. But this deal was rejected by UNISON members, who said healthcare assistants were taking on more responsibilities right through the Covid-19 pandemic. Christina McAnea, general secretary of UNISON, told the BBC: "What's happened in this trust is that they have been getting paid less than they should have been for years." Staff walked out on Thursday and plan another day of action on Friday. Further strikes are planned for 17, 22 and 28 April. In a recent ballot, 94% of UNISON members at Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) and City Hospital backed strike action. The union said, according to NHS guidance, healthcare assistants on band 2 salaries should only be providing personal care, such as bathing and feeding patients. But it added most of its healthcare assistants had routinely undertaken clinical tasks such as taking blood, performing electrocardiogram tests and inserting cannulas. Hospital bosses have outlined proposals of a back pay deal from August 2021 to August 2024 - which the union is contesting. The trust said it believed the deal was a "fair and reasonable offer" - and this had been "accepted by four of the five" unions which represented the workforce. Ms McAnea said: "This is about demonstrating that staff are entitled to be paid for all the jobs and work that they do. "We are saying [the back pay deal] is that is not long enough - they were doing higher level jobs, certainly through Covid, and the trust has to recognise that, and they are denying that. "That has really angered people here because they were holding the hands of dying patients every day, giving them intimate personal care." Tracy Pilcher, chief nurse at NUH, urged people to attend appointments as normal. "Our healthcare support workers are a vital and valuable group of colleagues," she said. "Our hospitals could not run without their skill and dedication to our patients. "We believe that this is a fair and reasonable offer, and this has been accepted by four of the five unions who represent the workforce. I am sorry that we could not reach a resolution with UNISON. "During the strike action, the safety of our patients and staff remains our top priority. Our teams have developed robust plans to mitigate the impact on our services." Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Healthcare staff back plans over strike action Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust UNISON
BBC News
10-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Nottingham hospital staff strike in dispute over back pay
Dozens of hospital staff took part in strike action in a dispute over back pay for healthcare assistants in union said the dispute was down to band 2 staff taking on greater responsibilities without being paid the University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) agreed to pay workers back pay from August 2021 to August this deal was rejected by UNISON members, who said healthcare assistants were taking on more responsibilities right through the Covid-19 pandemic. Christina McAnea, general secretary of UNISON, told the BBC: "What's happened in this trust is that they have been getting paid less than they should have been for years." Staff walked out on Thursday and plan another day of action on Friday. Further strikes are planned for 17, 22 and 28 April. In a recent ballot, 94% of UNISON members at Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) and City Hospital backed strike union said, according to NHS guidance, healthcare assistants on band 2 salaries should only be providing personal care, such as bathing and feeding it added most of its healthcare assistants had routinely undertaken clinical tasks such as taking blood, performing electrocardiogram tests and inserting bosses have outlined proposals of a back pay deal from August 2021 to August 2024 - which the union is contesting. The trust said it believed the deal was a "fair and reasonable offer" - and this had been "accepted by four of the five" unions which represented the workforce. Ms McAnea said: "This is about demonstrating that staff are entitled to be paid for all the jobs and work that they do."We are saying [the back pay deal] is that is not long enough - they were doing higher level jobs, certainly through Covid, and the trust has to recognise that, and they are denying that."That has really angered people here because they were holding the hands of dying patients every day, giving them intimate personal care."Tracy Pilcher, chief nurse at NUH, urged people to attend appointments as normal."Our healthcare support workers are a vital and valuable group of colleagues," she said. "Our hospitals could not run without their skill and dedication to our patients."We believe that this is a fair and reasonable offer, and this has been accepted by four of the five unions who represent the workforce. I am sorry that we could not reach a resolution with UNISON."During the strike action, the safety of our patients and staff remains our top priority. Our teams have developed robust plans to mitigate the impact on our services."
The Guardian
20-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Thousands of jobs at risk in shake-up of English councils, Unison warns
Thousands of English council jobs are at risk in a shake-up of local government, the country's biggest trade union has warned. Christina McAnea, the general secretary of Unison, sounded the alarm as councils submit their final proposals for mergers and reorganisation by the end of this week. She warned the changes 'cannot be used as a convenient cover for job cuts' and that it would be a 'travesty if crucial public services are shut down, outsourced or sold off'. More than 10,000 public sector jobs are already at risk in the civil service and the overhaul of NHS England could lead to about 9,500 job losses. With a worsening economic outlook and the Treasury looking for additional money to avoid missing its fiscal targets, unions are concerned that councils will be targeted for further cost savings even after years of austerity. The plan to merge some county and district bodies into unitary authorities will affect six regions and abolish many lower tier councils. It has already caused controversy as many of the areas affected are intending to defer local elections while the changes are put into place. Several councils voted through changes this week, with Surrey council agreeing to split into two unitary authorities, losing 11 borough and district councils. The government has proposed that most areas of England will switch to unitary councils to provide local services, including social care, housing, waste collections and planning. McAnea called on ministers to promise no compulsory redundancies would be made and that wages, pensions and benefits, such as sick pay and leave, must be protected when workers were transferred to the new authorities. She said current arrangements that allowed unions to negotiate centrally with a national body over pay should also be preserved. Councils are already facing uncertainty with the Treasury planning cuts for unprotected Whitehall departments in the spending review. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has calculated that unprotected departments such as the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government could have their budgets reduced by about 1.9% a year, or 7% over the rest of the parliament. The Local Government Association warned in its submission to the review that councils faced a combined funding shortfall of £20bn over the four years of the spending review period. Unison said job losses at district councils could run into thousands, with workers also left vulnerable to new pay deals if transferred or re-employed on different contracts. No community would want to see their services reduced so these should be preserved after the transition, the union added. McAnea said: 'Thousands of council roles are at risk under these wide-ranging proposals. Local authorities are under severe financial strain following years of austerity. But communities mustn't lose the expertise that ensures authorities can support their residents. 'It would be a travesty if crucial public services are shut down, outsourced or sold off in pursuit of further savings across a sector that's already suffered savage cuts for many years. 'Councils are long overdue a multi-year funding settlement that stabilises local services, ensures residents can access the support they deserve and protects staff. A fair pay deal, including for care workers, must be part of the solution.' The Office for Budget Responsibility will hand Rachel Reeves its final forecasts on Friday, including its assessment of how close the chancellor is to breaking her promises to have a balanced day-to-day budget by 2029-30 and to have debt falling by the same time. Government sources have said Reeves will not announce any tax rises next week, despite Conservative claims that she is planning to introduce a stealth income tax raid by freezing the threshold where people start paying it. Officials are not denying reports that they could seek to increase Whitehall budgets by an average of 1.1% a year after 2025-26, rather than the 1.3% announced last year. Given that much of this money would be taken up by expected rises to budgets in areas such as the NHS, schools and defence, the IFS calculates this would mean other departments – such as justice, the Home Office and local government – falling by about 1.9% a year, or 7% over the rest of the parliament.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Union and bishops criticise small boat refugee citizenship ban
A key union has joined faith leaders and charities in warning that a policy banning refugees arriving on small boats from gaining UK citizenship could "breed division and distrust". Fresh guidance states anyone entering the UK illegally having made the dangerous English Channel crossing - on a small boat or hiding in a vehicle, for example - will be refused citizenship. Christina McAnea, general secretary of Unison, and nine Church of England bishops are among 147 signatories of a letter, seen by the BBC, to the home secretary urging her to rethink the policy. They wrote that the government must instead focus on ensuring refugees "are welcomed and integrated into British life". The Home Office says the government has merely strengthened rules that were already in place on who could obtain citizenship. The letter argues that citizenship is "not just a legal status" but "a tangible fulfilment of the promise of safety, dignity, and opportunity". "When refugees become citizens, they feel a greater sense of belonging as full members of their communities with a stable future for themselves, their children and generations to come." Referring to a riot at a Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham last August, it says that part of the response to that violence "should be on creating integrated communities". It went on: "Labelling refugees, who through no fault of their own have had to put their lives at risk on flimsy vessels, or have had to hide in the backs of lorries to reach safety on our shores, as a type of second-class individual will simply breed division and distrust. "It risks playing into a toxic politics that pits 'us vs them' and is then manipulated by the far right to bring hate and disorder to our streets." As well as Ms McAnea of Unison - Labour's most generous union backer in the 2024 general election campaign, donating £1.49m - other signatories include the bishops of Chelmsford, Leicester, Gloucester and Dover. The chief executives of the Refugee Council and Refugee Action have also signed it, alongside Islamic Relief UK and other faith leaders, including rabbis from the Conference of Liberal Rabbis and Cantors. The government's new policy means anyone applying for citizenship from 10 February, having previously entered the UK illegally will be refused regardless of how long ago they arrived. Previously, refugees who arrived via irregular routes would have to wait 10 years before being considered for citizenship. It has also been criticised by Labour MP Stella Creasy. A Home Office spokesperson said: "There are longstanding rules that can prevent those arriving illegally from gaining citizenship. "The government is strengthening these measures to make it clear that anyone who enters the UK illegally, including small boat arrivals, faces having a British citizenship application refused." UK to deny citizenship to small boat refugees Ministers want to show toughness on immigration How many people cross the Channel in small boats?
