At Unite Legal Services, we’ve collated the latest news and information regarding employment matters and workers’ rights in relation to coronavirus COVID-19 developments.
09 November 2021
Persuasion, not coercion, says Unite, as Javid gears up to announce mandatory COVID vaccinations for NHS staff
Unite reinforced its long-held view that COVID vaccinations for NHS and social care staff should not be mandatory ahead of Sajid Javid’s announcement that frontline NHS England staff will have to be fully vaccinated against COVID by next spring.
Unite said that persuasion and not coercion was the best way to drive up vaccination rates, especially as NHS England said that rates amongst NHS staff for the first jab were already at 93 per cent and at 89 per cent for the second dose.
It is estimated by NHS Providers that between 80,000 and 100,000 NHS workers in England were unvaccinated.
11 November 2021
Unite blasts Weetabix claims ‘fire and rehire’ tactics irrelevant to current dispute
Unite’s general secretary says the union has “irrefutable evidence” that Weetabix is using ‘fire and rehire’ tactics to attack the wages and conditions of Unite engineers, including the threat of sackings.
Unite engineers at Weetabix factories in Kettering and Corby in Northamptonshire are currently taking strike action four days a week against company moves to attack their wages and terms and conditions.
The union estimates this could cost some engineers a loss of wages amounting to £5,000 a year, despite the fact that last year Weetabix’s turnover grew by five per cent to £325 million and profits leapt by almost 20 per cent to £82 million.
Get more support
For more information on how we are fighting to protect the health and safety, and economic stability of our members during the coronavirus COVID-19 crisis, please visit the Unite the Union advice hub.
COVID-19 personal injury claims
Unite has set up a specialist legal team to advise and represent members who have suffered injury as a result of COVID-19.
If you have suffered injury from developing COVID-19, or have tragically lost a family member to the condition, then please call Unite’s COVID-19 PI team on 0800 709 007.
