Unison West Northamptonshire Local Government Branch

23/09/2026

20/09/2026

📢𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗦𝗦𝗡𝗕 – 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗛𝗮𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝘆?

School support staff members in UNISON are three days into having their say on their new support staff only negotiating body.

Are you school support staff and don’t think you’ve had this? Don’t miss out:

👉𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 for your digital voting link from UNISON. Check your spam and junk folders too.

👉No link? You can still 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 👇or 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝗥 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 to go straight to the voting page (you'll just need to verify your membership first).

Never miss a beat about what's happening in your union: 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁, link below. 👇

16/09/2026

📢 𝗦𝗦𝗦𝗡𝗕 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 📢

The SSSNB will be a new negotiating body, specifically for support staff, with no facility for academies to opt out.

This means a united, dedicated voice that reflects the workplace realities you experience every day.

Realities like:
👉unfair pay for demanding job roles,
👉term-time only contacts that aren’t fit for purpose,
👉 unrealistic expectations to cover additional workloads.

TAKE ACTION

• Look out for an email with your ballot and use your vote
• Ask a colleague to scan the QR code and join UNISON to add their voice to ours
• Become a school support staff champion and be part of winning better for support staff.

UNISON’s consultation runs from 15 September to 6 October 2026. Our National School Sector Committee, made up of UNISON members, recommends voting YES to the proposals.

10/09/2026

At our last branch meeting members decided to affiliate to the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign. Read here about important work that the Nicaraguan govenmert is undertaking as part of their solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Germany is responsible for 30% of Israel’s arms imports, the largest supplier of arms to Israel after the United States. Against the backdrop of Israel’s renewed attacks on Gaza and settler atrocities on the West Bank, the ICJ is set to hold public hearings 7-10 September on the Nicaragua v Germ...

08/09/2026

UNISON is consulting members on vital proposals affecting school support staff in England.
🗳️ Make sure you vote when you receive your email on 15 September to have your say!

05/09/2026

📢 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗙𝗙!
It’s September and that means back to school. 🎓
There are some important changes coming to your union in this academic year.
To make sure your voice is heard, check we have an up-to-date 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗟 𝗔𝗗𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 and 𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗡𝗨𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 for you: 𝗺𝘆.𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻.𝗼𝗿𝗴.𝘂𝗸

13/08/2026

Palantir has won an estimated £670 million in UK government contracts, including work with the NHS and the Ministry of Defence — yet in 2024 it paid just £2.1 million in UK tax.

“Systems that enable tax to be shirked on an industrial scale clearly have to change,” said Andrea Egan, UNISON General Secretary.

Read the full investigation by PSI, EPSU and CICTAR: https://publicservices.international/resources/news/palantirs-tiny-14-tax-rate-exposed-governments-must-stop-awarding-contracts-to-tax-avoiders?lang=en&id=16669 ✊

13/08/2026

Write to your MP today!

⚠️ Too hot to work? ⚠️

An amber extreme heat warning is in place across the region this week.

Public service workers will be working hard to keep people safe and essential services running during the high temperatures.

But extreme heat can make work difficult and unsafe. As climate change makes heatwaves more common and more severe, we need stronger protections for workers.

Write to your MP today and call for action: unsn.uk/TooHotToWork

13/08/2026

The TUC is calling on members and reps to sign a simple online petition telling the HSE that we need a maximum working temperature to keep people safe at work. The Health and Safety Executive is expected to consult on updating its guidance on safe working temperatures later this year. The current guidance includes a minimum temperature, but not maximum temperature. The trade unions want to see the law changed, so that employers and workers know when action must be taken to keep workers cooler and safer. The trade unions want to see guidance which asks employers to begin taking steps to reduce temperatures when they get above 24°C.
The TUC petition can be found on this link https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/we-need-a-maximum-working-temperature?source=socials0626

22/02/2026

with
Ben Jamal and Chris Nineham at
Westminster Magistrates Court tomorrow.
They are defending our right to protest
Drop the charges!