NHS

UNISON to recommend pay cuts for health workers

Public sector union UNISON looks set to rubber stamp a three-year package of pay cuts for workers in the NHS.

Following a proposal of three years of sub-inflationary pay rises UNISON Head of Health, Karen Jennings, said that she would be "asking our executive to consider recommending this deal to members as a well-balanced package"

The proposed deal gives 2.75% in the first year.

In year 2 it gives 2.54%. Those on the lowest point will receive an increase of 5.7%.

Karen Reissman appeal rejected

NHS Trust bosses this week rejected mental health nurse Karen Reissman's appeal against her dismissal.

The appeal, which bosses deliberated over for a week, attempted to overturn the decision to dismiss Reissman, who was sacked for 'gross misconduct' after criticising cuts to NHS services in the media.

Campaigners slam closures after "critical" blood shortages emerge

NBS SOS

Campaigners against the cuts to the National Blood Service have hit out, after blood shortages in hospitals are already emerging.

The NHS Blood and Transplant Board which manages the NBS aims to axe blood centre in this area, in cuts plans that will see 600 jobs lost. However it emerged this week, in addition to the two recent deaths as a result of shortages in specially matched platelets, that the impact of the cuts is already being felt in other hospital shortages of blood, in your area and across the country.

Manchester nurses strike for Karen Reissman

Manchester mental health workers demonstrate against privatisation, March 2007. Photo: Pia Feig

Nurses today began a rolling strike after their union leader was sacked for speaking to the media.

More than 150 staff, who care for 1,000 seriously-ill psychiatric patients, are on picket lines across Manchester and say they will not return to work until senior nurse Karen Reissmann is reinstated.

The strike follows the decision of Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust bosses to sack Ms Reissmann on Monday.

700 health workers to strike in defence of their union rep

300 supporters at a meeting in Manchester, August 2007. Photo: Socialist Worker

700 health workers, mainly nurses, will be out on strike again for 3 days Wednesday 31st October, Thursday 1st November and Friday 2nd November.

UNISON members who work for Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust are protesting about the ongoing suspension of their branch chair and national health executive member, Karen Reissmann.

Manchester nurses continue strikes in defence of suspended colleague

Karen Reissman speaking at a Defend the NHS demo, March 2007

Manchester mental health UNISON members will be on strike again on Thursday 18th, Friday 19th and Monday 22nd October.

This coincides with the disciplinary hearing for their branch chair, Karen Reissmann. There will be a mass lobby of the hearing Thursday 18th October 8am, at the Trust’s headquarters (Chorlton House, 70 Manchester Rd, Chorlton, Manchester M21 9UN) where the disciplinary hearing will take place.

In a statement, UNISON said:

Midlands: health boss to get pay increase while workers face pay cut

Unison demonstration in Wolverhampton

Hospital workers in Leicestershire were shocked and outraged by the news that interim Chief Executive for the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Derek Smith, will be paid £100,000 for three months work. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton healthworkers face a pay cut.

- but they weren’t surprised.

UNISON, who represent 5,500 healthworkers in Leicestershire, described the decision to pay Mr Smith such a huge amount of money as “an insult to the commitment and dedication of ordinary healthworkers”.

NHS Trust sets date for Reissmann disciplinary hearing

Demonstration in support of Karen Reissman, September 9th 2007

Talks between UNISON and Manchester’s mental health trust broke down on Monday (Oct 1st) when the Trust announced they will hold a disciplinary hearing for Karen Reissmann, a trade union activist, in 2 weeks time.

Striking nurses lobbied their board last Thursday and were told their trust had “made approaches to Unison Regional Centre regarding ways of halting the industrial action”. When they met yesterday (Monday) UNISON regional officers were merely informed that the trust was to convene a disciplinary hearing for Karen the week beginning 15th October.

Norfolk hospital workers could strike

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

Dozens of cleaners, porters, and catering staff at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital are voting this week on whether to take strike action as a dispute over pay threatened to boil over.

If given the go-ahead, the move would affect 44 workers, who are members of the union Unite, who are employed by the private contractor Serco. Angry staff claim they are missing out on the same pay and benefits that there NHS employed counterparts receive. They are campaigning for the company to introduce a system similar to the NHS's Agenda for Change scheme, in which wages were reconfigured.

Manchester mental health staff strike again

Karen Reissman supporters march in Manchester yesterday

After a similar strike just over two weeks ago, hundreds of mental health workers in Manchester are going on strike for a second time today in a row over the suspension of union official, Karen Reissman.

Reissmann, a psychiatric nurse, was suspended in June for allegedly bringing Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust into disrepute.

The union Unison said she was suspended for speaking out against job cuts and government policies. The NHS trust has said it is a private employment matter. About 700 workers staged a similar three-day strike last month.

Mental health workers on strike in support of colleague

Manchester mental health workers on strike yesterday

Nearly 700 UNISON members in Manchester Community and Mental Health branch went on strike yesterday in support of their colleague Karen Reissman, suspended from work since June.

About half the strikers were on lively picket lines at the four main sites - at Wythenshawe Hospital, Chorlton House (Trust HQ), Manchester Royal Infirmary and North Manchester General Hospital.

As health workers prepare for ballot, Unison leaders back off

Karen Jennings - Unison national secretary

Unison national secretary has angered union activists by demanding that local branches take a position of neutrality on the issue of a below inflation pay offer.

With Unison also preparing to ballot members for strike action over pay on the 20th August, days after 95% Royal College of Nursing members asked to be balloted for strike action, Unison’s leadership have sent a message to all branches demanding that activists take no position on the government’s below inflation pay offer.

NHS/UNISON health workers disappointed at low pay increase offer

UNISON calls government pay increase "paltry." Improved offer expected; NHS ballot in August-September will determine outcome.

NHS employers and union representatives meet today to discuss a new settlement for health staff in England.

Mike Jackson, UNISON’s lead negotiator, said the unions were hopeful there would be more money on the table.

1977: The great Northampton General Hospital lie in

A short history of a successful example of creative direct action against healthcare rationing in a British hospital.

30 years ago: Rita Ward and the Great Northampton Hospital ‘lie-in”
We hear a lot these days about the ‘creeping privatisation’ of the NHS. We have a Labour government committed to turning our free National Health Service into just another business along the lines of the American model, which sees poor people refused medical treatment because they can’t afford it.

Anger at cuts as £500m NHS surplus found

Royal Sussex County Hospital - fighting closure

Union leaders today reacted angrily to the news that the NHS has underspent by £500m as a result of aggressive cuts imposed by Patricia Hewitt, the health secretary.

Faced with projected deficits for the second year running, NHS trusts were put under pressure to economise by closing wards, laying off staff and delaying patients' operations until the start of the new financial year. A Guardian analysis of health authority figures has revealed the huge surplus.

NHS workers threaten summer strike

Manchester mental health workers strike, January 2007

A summer of discontent across the NHS in England and Wales was threatened yesterday by Unison, the public service union, in protest at a below-inflation pay increase.

John Carvel, social affairs editor
Tuesday April 24, 2007
From The Guardian

Representatives of the union's 450,000 health workers voted unanimously at their conference in Brighton to ballot for industrial action up to and including strikes.

Hospital cleaners stage walk out

Cleaners and catering staff at a hospital in Neath, Wales, staged a 24-hour strike in protest yesterday at what they say is a decrease in working hours.

Staff at Neath Port Talbot Hospital, contracted by OCS Ltd, say they have been told their hours are to be cut. Officials from trade union Unison said the 140 staff affected are angry and added an independent report recommended hours should in fact be increased. But a spokesperson for OCS denied there had been a cut in working hours.

Protests across the UK over NHS cuts

NHS protestors in east London

Health workers and their supporters have been holding local demonstrations across the country in protest over cuts in jobs and services.

The national day of action was organised by NHS Together, a combination of unions and local NHS staff groups. The protests aim to highlight that services are under increasing threat from budget deficits and privatisation.

Manchester NHS workers on strike

250 employees of Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust will take their first day´s strike today, Wednesday January 31st. This follows a 91.6% ballot result in favour of strike action.

The strike action will be taken by 250 community nurses, occupational therapists and team secretaries to stop the cuts in community mental health teams which include:

* reduction in staffing numbers in community mental health teams and consequent higher caseloads, and a reduction in service to keep people well

Nurses asked to do unpaid work to avoid "significant job losses"

Health campaigners have condemned an NHS trust for asking its staff to resign, work for no pay or take unpaid leave in order to reduce its multimillion-pound deficit.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, which reported a £16. 7m deficit last year, has sent staff a letter asking them to work unpaid for a day, take six months unpaid leave, take voluntary redundancy or defer taking five days of their holiday until next year to help balance its books.

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