UNISON

UNISON’s women's self-organised group committee has agreed to hold a national women's self-organised group conference starting at 12pm Thursday, 18 February and finishing 1pm Saturday, 20 February 2027. We have now opened the online conference system (OCS) to allow branches to register delegates and submit motions in line with the rule-book requirements. Please note the deadline to submit motions on OCS is   12pm Friday, 23 October 2026. The conference takes place over threedays.

Children’s social care work requires skill, understanding and, most of all, empathy when children are removed from their families. However, a recent report by the Common Wealth think tank shows that the current for-profit system for childcare homes and foster agencies is characterised less by these qualities and more with an unseemly rush to make a quick profit. The report shows that the average operating margin for the 20 largest for-profit fostering agencies was 17% between 2022 and 2025.

PhD candidate Mutiat Owolewa conducted research into flexible working in the NHS for her thesis at Birmingham City University. Her research supports the Get Ahead employer pledge, part of the Talk About Flex campaign run by UNISON and other NHS unions to inspire staff and managers to start a conversation about flexible working.

The Government is insisting NHS trusts balance their books. But after years of cuts, only a proper cash injection can fix the system. Last year, NHS trusts across England had a combined budget deficit of over £1.6bn. The Government's rules will mean at least 26,000 jobs will be cut by 2028 Email your MP today and demand urgent impact assesment on these new rules and proper funding to fill staffing shortages.

The government must deliver on its election pledge to oversee “the biggest wave of insourcing for a generation”, unions have said, as new analysis shows spending on private contractors for some key public services has doubled since Labour took power. Research by UNISON and the RMT found the value of outsourced contracts awarded or renewed for ‘soft facilities’ management – including cleaning, catering and security – reached £6.2bn in 2025.

We’re two thirds of the way through UNISON’s Year of Green Activity. So far, the union’s climate-related activities and campaigns have given plenty of food for thought – both about the practical issues surrounding climate change and its impact on public services and our members’ jobs, and what it means to be active in trying to save the planet. And now, Green Film Month will add something new.

School support staff employed by Rochdale Borough Council helped secure a major win for all their colleagues after a petition they created demanding change was signed more than 900 times. The workers’ organisation and campaigning persuaded the authority to change the way backpay is paid. The move will help employees receiving Universal Credit avoid losing out financially when annual pay awards are implemented.

The government must resist pressure from bosses and honour its pledge to end exploitative zero-hours contracts, UNISON said today (Tuesday). The union has urged ministers not to water down reforms around insecure work outlined in a consultation on the new Employment Rights Act, which closed today. Employer groups have been actively lobbying against proposals to guarantee workers' hours and payments for shifts cancelled at short notice.

The Westminster government has promised the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation. We welcome that commitment but promises alone won't improve services or make life better for the workers delivering them. Every day that services remain outsourced is another day when public money leaves frontline services and too many workers continue to experience lower pay, poorer conditions and greater insecurity. It's time to move from promises to progress.

Commenting on the temporary suspension of births at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple, UNISON South West regional secretary Tim Roberts said today (Thursday): “Keeping mothers and babies protected from harm must always come first. The suspension of births in Barnstaple will have significant implications for families and ambulance crews. “Anyone in labour or needing urgent maternity care now faces a much longer journey to Exeter. This will be a real concern for expectant parents and staff.