Press releases

Solidarity message to striking UCU members

UNISON Cymru Wales has sent a solidarity message to UCU members striking at some Welsh universities this week. Dan Beard from UNISON’s Higher Education Service Group Executive said, “UNISON Cymru Wales members give a warm message of solidarity to UCU members striking in defence of your right to a decent pension. “Yours is a critical […]

UNISON endorses Julie Morgan for Welsh Labour deputy

UNISON Cymru Wales Labour Link Forum has endorsed Julie Morgan AM in her bid to become Welsh Labour deputy leader. The popular Cardiff Assembly Member secured the endorsement at a recent UNISON meeting in Llandudno. Each candidate vying to be deputy (or their representative) was invited to address the audience of healthcare workers, local authority […]

Tribunal awards University of South Wales’ cleaners thousands

Photo: Cleaners victorious outside Cardiff Magistrates court. Credit: Seb Cooke Cleaners working at the University of South Wales have won thousands of pounds compensation for unlawful deduction of wages dating back eleven months. The nine women, supported by their trade union, UNISON, are employed by KGB Cleaning to clean the university’s campus in the Atrium […]

Hospital staff celebrate anniversary of successful dispute

Healthcare workers organised by UNISON are today (Thursday) celebrating the one year anniversary of a landmark industrial dispute that delivered pay increases of between £500 and £2,000 for those involved at the Morriston, Singleton and Princess of Wales hospitals at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board (ABMU). For three years, workers in the sterilisation and […]

UNISON: Wales has social care ‘on the cheap’

Responding to the publication of the Older People’s Commissioner’s report ‘A Place to Call Home’, Andy Rutherford, UNISON lead organiser for social care said, “The report has shone a welcome light on the desperate situation in social care. Overstretched resources mean those receiving care are not getting the level of support they need. At the […]

UNISON: ‘Leisure privatisation betrays people of Swansea’

UNISON has revealed Swansea council is to privatise leisure services, reneging on a clear promise to staff this would not happen. The trade union said local authority officials have shortlisted three private contractors to run Morriston, Penlan and Penyrheol sports centres. UNISON has warned privatisation is a terrible error which will damage the quality of […]

Grinch visits prominent Welsh MPs

Four prominent Welsh Conservative MPs will receive visits from groups of Grinch lookalikes this week. Public service workers angry at the UK government’s continued seven-year pay cap will invoke the fictional character who famously wanted to ruin Christmas time. They will warn the MPs not to “steal our pay rise.” Healthcare and local authority staff […]

UNISON urges MPs: ‘stick up for your communities’

UNISON Cymru Wales has written to all Conservative MPs urging them to attend a debate in Parliament this afternoon (Monday) on the trade union’s petition to end the seven-year public sector pay cap. The petition has been signed by thousands of people and UNISON has said MPs must stand up for the communities they have […]

Welsh Rugby Union condemns violence against women

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), has thrown its weight behind a campaign to stop violence against women. The guardian of the sport in Wales has joined a UNISON initiative to publicise White Ribbon, a charity which addresses men directly so they understand the scale of the problem, and become part of the solution, alongside women. […]

National celebration for stars in our schools

Politicians and head teachers will attend events in schools across Wales today (Friday) to praise the hard work of school support staff. The unsung heroes, teaching assistants, administrators, caterers, midday supervisors and cleaners are part of the whole education team which makes our schools the success they are. Assembly Members Dawn Bowden and Jane Hutt […]

Theresa May must deliver for struggling families

  UNISON Cymru Wales says the pressure is on Theresa May to show her government really is driven to support ‘just-about-managing families’, in the budget on Wednesday. The trade union has identified investment in public services and public service workers as priorities for government action this week. Public service workers have been subjected to seven […]

Fresh push for ‘real’ living wage across Wales

UNISON Cymru Wales has challenged Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford AM to make Wales a ‘real’ Living Wage nation where every public service worker earns at least £8.75 per hour. The trade union has today (Wednesday) written an open letter to the minister urging him to provide the extra funding to lift thousands of council workers […]

Major conference on future of social housing in Wales

Social housing experts, residents, workers and community campaigners will gather today (Thursday) for a landmark conference in Cardiff to discuss the future of social housing in Wales.   UNISON has convened the first conference of its kind in Wales against the backdrop of the Grenfell disaster in what it is describing as a critical time […]

Minister faces public challenge

For immediate release: Saturday 4 November 2017 Barry today (Saturday), hosted its biggest political rally in a decade as public services union, UNISON, brought hundreds of people to the constituency seat of the Secretary of State for Wales. King’s Square was awash with colour, placards, banners and flags as families crowded to hear public services […]

Alun Cairns failing to represent Wales’ interests

  Hundreds of public service workers and their families from across Wales will descend on Barry this Saturday (4 November), for a rally and march in the constituency seat of Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns MP. The protest, organised by UNISON, will accuse the minster of not standing up for the people of […]