21/09/2020
It is time to rebuild public services now that the country tries to start to emerge from lockdown, tentatively and with many setbacks that there are sure to be on the way. That is the message from the public service and NHS trade union UNISON, which represents workers, a significant number of them drawn from the LGBTQ communities who have helped keep the public safe and well during the heights of the Covid19 pandemic. The Union has opened a campaigning website where resources can be downloaded to support its initiative. It says that “Years of neglect made the effect of the pandemic so much worse. One example of that neglect was the PPE shortage that emerged when the pandemic hit. Another is the fragmented nature of care services for the elderly and vulnerable – where staff frequently experience low pay, insecure employment and impossible workloads to manage.”. But frontline staff, UNISON adds, came through for the public. Now they intend to campaign for a new deal to make sure that the caring processions are fully staffed and supported. For more information on how you can get involved in their campaigning work, visit the webpage Nogoingbacktonormal.org.