U.K., EPSU Collective Bargaining News

After 90 days, the longest running social care strike in the history of the NHS, has ended. The employees of Care UK in Doncaster in north east England have won 12 months' pay protection, tax free and restored the principle of premium rates for unsocial hours. They also won a 2% pay rise (or linked to the consumer price index, if greater) for the next three years, as well as a £500 unconsolidated payment this year. UNISON argues that the determined action by the care workers has raised awareness of the pay and conditions of care workers in privatised companies throughout the country. [Read

Health worker unions report massive support for the second round of strike action and working-to-rule in support of their pay claim. As with the first action in October, some unions took four hours of strike action on 24 November and were then joined by more unions supporting a work-to-rule. Unions involved in the action included the nurses and general health workers organised by unions like Unison, GMB and Unite as well as specialist unions representing midwives, radiographers, dieticians, consultants, managers and those working in prison psychiatric services. [Read more at > Unison->http:/

Firefighters in England took another 24 hours of strike action on 9-10 December in order to protect their pension rights. The FBU firefighters' union is concerned that government proposals will force firefighters to continue working longer or risk losing their pension entitlement. Firefighters in Scotland and Wales did not take strike action because the devolved governments have indicated their willingness to make the kinds of changes that have been called for by the union. [Read more at > FBU->http://www.fbu.org.uk/news/2014/12/firefighters-complete-24-hours-strike-march-thousands-support

Police staff were set to strike on 22 December and take further action in January in protest at the 1% pay rise offered by employers. These workers have seen their purchasing power fall by 13% since 2010. The three unions involved, Unison, Unite and GMB are arguing for a 3% increase or a flat-rate rise of £500 (€00) whichever is greater. The staff cover a wide range of roles such as 999 call takers, fingerprint experts, financial investigators, crime analysts, enquiry desk officers, trainers and many others. Negotiations with employers will now resume. [Read more at > Unison->http://www.unison

Information obtained by the Observer newspaper shows that absence from work because of stress among nurses has increased significantly over the past two years. Figures show a 17% increase in Wales, a 27% rise in London and an increase of over a third (34%) in Scotland. The combination of job cuts, frozen resources and increased numbers of patients is leading to many nurses working longer and in more demanding circumstances. One estimate puts the cost of this absence at over £400 million a year (€535m). [Read more at > Guardian newspaper->http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jan/17/nurses

Health unions in England have agreed to suspend industrial action while they consult their members over a new offer from the Ministry of Health. Ten unions had planned to take action from 29 January, including both strikes and working-to-rule. It would have been the third round of action since last October. Unions are still looking at the detail of the new offer but it includes a 1% increase for all workers with changes to the bottom of the pay scale that would mean increase of 5.6% and 3.1% for the lowest paid. The dispute affects staff mainly in England but the strike planned by some staff

Thousands of workers across Northern Ireland took industrial action on 13 March in protest over privatisation, job cuts and cuts to health, education and other public services. Unions were very pleased with the strong and widespread support for the action. [Read more at > ICTU-NIC->http://www.ictuni.org/news/2015/03/13/m13-nicictu-statement-for-strike-rallies/] [And at > NIPSA->http://www.nipsa.org.uk/News/News-Releases/2015/NIPSA-Hails-Support-for-Public-Sector-Workers-Stri] [And at > Unison->http://www.unison.org.uk/news/unison-members-strike-in-northern-ireland] [And at > GMB->http://www

Health workers in Northern Ireland are taking part in two weeks of industrial action from 27 April to 10 May in protest at the latest pay deal, lower than for health workers across the rest of the UK, and no pay offer for 2015-2016. The action will involve the withdrawal of additional, voluntary, unpaid and goodwill time. Radiographers and midwives will also be joining the protests, with midwives voting for action for the first time in their history as their colleagues in the rest of the UK did at the end of last year. [Read more at > Unison->http://www.unison.org.uk/news/articles/health

Leeds City Council, in North East England, is the latest and one of the largest local authorities to sign up to the ethical care charter launched by the Unison trade union. The charter is part of the union's Save Care Now campaign and commits councils to ensure that carers do not have to rush from client to client and that people should keep the same carer wherever possible. It also commits employers to provide guaranteed hours contracts as the norm rather than zero hours contracts, to pay for travel time and a target of paying at least the living wage of £7.85 (€10.80) a hour. [Read more at >

Public services union UNISON is very concerned about the decision of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to suspend its work developing guidance on safe staffing levels throughout the National Health Service. The union says that guidance on staffing levels in acute cliniical settings made a real difference and similar guidance is needed in other services such as maternity, mental health and community services. NHS – working in A&E departments. [Read more at > UNISON->http://www.unison.org.uk/news/safe-staffing-won-t-be-solved-by-nice-suspending-its-guidance-work-says