Unison Foyle Health Branch

17/10/2026

REMINDER FOLKS ABOUT THE Demo on Monday 19th
Unison Foyle Health Branch
Calling all members and any affected staff
Join our demo across the trust against the cuts to our lowest paid , mostly women, mostly part time staff.
Cuts to our support services affects everyone
Be there for 12.15 sharp. This will be a quick demo to send a strong message to the Trust and to the Department of Health

16/10/2026

📰UNISON PRESS RELEASE📰

𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗟 𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗨𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗡 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗬, 𝗔𝗦 𝗜𝗧 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝟯𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗛 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗥𝗦

Today (Friday 16th October 2026), UNISON delegates from across Northern Ireland are meeting in Belfast for the union’s annual Regional Council, as UNISON prepares to ballot members for industrial action across health and social services.

Commenting in advance of today’s Council meeting, UNISON Regional Secretary Patricia McKeown said:

‘‘Our Council provides an important opportunity to celebrate and recognise the massive contribution made by UNISON members across our society in delivering public services.

However, once again our members are being denied pay justice, caught between a UK Government that is not providing enough resources to meet the true level of need in Northern Ireland, and an Executive which cannot yet agree how to put pay right for tens of thousands of public sector workers.

Despite repeated commitments to pay parity made by the Executive, the pay uplift due to the health and social services workforce in Northern Ireland remains outstanding, alongside implementation of commitments made that the lowest paid would receive the Real Living Wage. This is completely unacceptable.

Delays in resolving these issues have been ongoing over months, and the workforce cannot be expected to wait any longer whilst the budget stalemate between the Secretary of State and the Executive continues.

As the largest union in health and social services, UNISON has commenced the process to enable our members to be balloted, with our ballot due to open on November 10th.

Over the last number of days, we have also seen the Education Minister state that he will not provide approval to implement the agreed NJC pay award that is due to thousands of classroom assistants, catering and cleaning staff, admin workers and others working across education support services.

This is an extremely concerning development as NJC pay is contractual and pay awards must be implemented when they fall due.

Our members will not accept their rights on pay being disregarded. The Education Minister and wider Executive must resolve NJC pay urgently or the potential for industrial action will grow.

UNISON members will not accept Government at Westminster and Stormont failing to value them for all they do in delivering essential public services.’’

15/10/2026

14/10/2026

Today is Thank Your Cleaner Day!

We'd like to say a huge thank you to our Domestics, who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep our hospitals and community sites clean and safe.

Your hard work plays a vital role in the care we provide every day. We are grateful for everything you do. 💙

14/10/2026

🏆 UNISON One Team Awards are now open

This 💙 help celebrate the NHS support staff who make a difference every day.

Nominate a colleague who deserves recognition and they could win a £500 voucher!
unsn.uk/oneteamawards

14/10/2026

Special Meeting of Derry City and Strabane Council Health and Community Committee to hear from UNISON, UNITE, RCN and NIPSA representatives opposed to proposed health service cuts and demanding pay justice 4pm Monday 26th October, Guildhall.

Guildhall Rally 3.30pm Monday 26th October.

Derry Trades Union Council chair Damien Doherty said,

"Derry Trades Union Council fully supports the campaign led by healthcare workers opposing cuts to the health service, demands for pay justice and opposition to cherry-picking by healthcare corporations.

These proposed cuts will have a devastating impact on safe staffing and the health service.

The health service needs investment not austerity to address A&E pressures and unacceptable waiting lists for patient care.

It is maddening that healthcare workers continue to be denied pay raises that were due last April.

Stormont can't deliver a paltry 3.3% pay rise for Western Trust workers or the Real Living Wage for domiciliary care workers but it can gift MLAs massive pay increases of £14,000 and £2,000.

Cuts, pay injustice and privatisation are undermining the health service and leaving hundreds of thousands waiting far too long to receive care.

Healthcare workers aren't being paid properly but it's also the case that some of them have been attacked and demonised because of the place of birth or colour of their skin.

Political representatives who have legitimised attacks on migrant workers are facilitating the undermining of the health service and are opposed to the most basic principles of trade unionism and decency.

Derry Trades Union Council urges support for the Stop the Health Service Cuts rally at 3.30pm on Monday 26th October at the Guildhall.

Following the rally, we will be joining UNISON, UNITE, NIPSA and the RCN in the Council chamber to show our solidarity for healthcare workers and to stand for everyone depending on the health service."

12/10/2026

Upcoming UNISON College courses:

🎓 DIGNITY IN HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE
📅 Tuesday 20th October
⏰ 10am - 1pm
📌 UNISON, Galway House, Belfast

🎓 DEMENTIA: PART 1 AN INTRODUCTION TO DEMENTIA
📅 Tuesday 20th October
⏰ 1:30pm - 4pm
📌 UNISON, Galway House, Belfast

🎓 INFECTION, PREVENTION & CONTROL
📅 Wednesday 21st October
⏰ 2pm - 4.30pm
📌 UNISON, Galway House, Belfast

🎓 PROMOTING WELLBEING & PREVENTING BURNOUT
📅 Wednesday 921st October
⏰ 6pm - 9pm
📌 UNISON, Galway House, Belfast

📨 To register for a course email: [email protected] with your Name, Contact Details, UNISON Membership Number and the course you’re applying for.

12/10/2026

Unison Foyle Health Branch
Members of staff and our members staged a demo today at the front of the Altnagelvin site during their lunch break.
This is in protest against the 'Trust Savings'...otherwise known as cuts!
These cuts impact on our lowest paid staff, mostly on part time contracts .
The cuts stop anyone doing extra hours and means that staff in offices and other non clinical areas are being told to empty their own BINS and clean areas themselves.
This is not in their job descriptions and they will not be taking jobs from staff who need this work.
We have also been made aware that some senior managers are expecting their admin/secretaries to empty their bins also!
In some cases support staff are being asked to cover 2 or 3 jobs at a lesser quality. This increases risk of infection.

Adding insult is that HSC staff are still awaiting their pay rise and the trust has increased their restaurant prices well above payrise. No free parking for all also not being implemented by Stormount

STOP THE CUTS ✂️
Further protest planned for next Monday 19th. Please show your support