Low-paid council cleaners face privatisation threat warns UNISON

More than 100 low-paid Middlesbrough Council employees have been told their jobs are to be privatised and transferred to private companies next year so the authority can make savings of around £180,000, says UNISON today (Friday). Around 140 cleaners employed by the authority say councillors are planning to outsource their jobs simply to save cash. […]

Blog: Give the best gift this Christmas, Save the Planet – Guest blog by Ronagh Craddock

Ronagh Craddock is the climate change lead for UNISON Northern. It is now officially December which means we can talk about Christmas, and I know that the best gift that I can give to my friends and family this Christmas is to save the planet. Tackling the climate crisis sounds like a big task – […]

UNISON Npower representatives meet Parliamentary candidate over job losses

UNISON representatives for staff at NPower in the North East today (Tuesday) met Parliamentary candidate Bridget Phillipson to discuss the recently announced losses within the company over the next two years. A significant number of the 2,000 staff employed at Rainton Bridge are represented by the union. Around 4,500 jobs will be lost nationally over […]

Shocking picture of austerity cuts to local services is revealed by UNISON

The true scale of almost a decade of savage austerity cuts to local communities in the North East is laid bare in a study published by UNISON today (Friday), showing the impact of huge reductions in council funding. A series of freedom of information (FoI) requests to local authorities in the region examined the changes […]

Unsung heroes of North East schools celebrated by UNISON

School support staff across the North East will be recognised today (Friday) as part of a UK-wide celebration of the invaluable contribution they make to children’s education. UNISON has organised the ‘Stars in Our Schools’ event to promote the wonderful work school support staff do every day and to make sure the world knows just how vital they are […]

Northumbria Police & the OPCC signs TUC’s Dying to Work Charter

Northumbria Police and the Northumbria Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner (OPCC) have signed the TUC’s Dying to Work Charter on behalf of 5,092 Police Officers and Police Staff.  The charter aims to protect the rights of individuals at work with a terminal illness. The charter was signed this week by the Northumbria Police […]

Blog: Sharon Hodgson MP on Public Services and Labour’s Green New Deal

For this blog I managed to have a catch up with Sharon Hodgson, MP for Washington and Sunderland West to discuss public services and Labour’s Green New Deal. Clare Williams CW: Public services are all really struggling to provide the services they want with the level of government funding cuts and we’re wondering what your thoughts […]

UNISON Northern’s Anti-Racism and Self-Organised Black Members’ work continues in Middlesbrough

UNISON’s Middlesbrough LG Branch was delighted to be able to participate in celebrating the second Black History Youth Awards Dinner hosted by Cultures CIC, in Middlesbrough Town Hall. UNISON Middlesbrough LG Branch has also become one of the sponsors of the event, supporting the vital community organising work which underpins the event. The awards celebrate […]

Low paid cleaners to be outsourced by Middlesbrough Council

The 140 workers – who are among the lowest paid at the local authority – have been told their jobs are to be transferred to a number of private companies

Show Racism the Red Card Ambassador Programme

We are working with Show Racism the Red Card to deliver our Ambassador Programme. The course is open to all UNISON members and runs for one day per week for 6 weeks from Tuesday 8 October until Saturday the 16 November. The course aims to take participants on a journey from challenging the myths around immigration and […]