Changes to Migrant Worker Rules

Commenting on the announcement Yesterday that the government plan to change migrant salary rules,

 

Ravi Subramanian, West Midlands Regional Secretary said:

 

"Five years ago the government took the short-sighted decision to cut the number of nursing training places, and the NHS is now paying the price.

 

So with too few nurses being trained in the UK, NHS trusts have been forced to recruit thousands of nurses from abroad. Quite apart from the devastating impact this has on health services around the world, recruiting staff from overseas hasn't come cheap for the NHS either. 

 

Now in a set of crazy new rules due to come into force next year anyone recruited from outside the EU since 2011 who isn't earning more than £35,000 within six years will have to go home. With demand on the NHS increasing all the time, the sudden departure of many highly-trained staff will mean certain chaos for the NHS. One in four nurses in London are from overseas.

 

And it's not just nurses who will be affected – many workers from overseas employed in care homes and in home care across the UK could also find themselves without a job with equally devastating consequences on the care of some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

 

Strangely – despite the huge pressures on the NHS – the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) doesn't believe that the UK is suffering from a shortage of nurses. While ballet dancers, head chefs and nuclear waste managers might be on the official list of shortage occupations, nurses don't feature.

 

Aside from these proposals the MAC is also consulting on proposals to raise the salary threshold to £50,000 – if this happens, the NHS will never be able to recruit another nurse from outside the EU again.

 

Ministers must think again and put a stop to these rule changes before it is too late. Nurses and other health workers from overseas have made a vital and valuable contribution to the NHS over many years – without their hard work and dedication, the health service would have been unable to cope with increasing demand."

Disappointment over conservative Majority Goverment

As the Queen opened this session of parliament UNISON West Midlands surveyed its members to gather their thoughts after the election. The question was simple, Are you pleased with the outcome of the general election?

The response from members who are nurses, teaching assistants, cleaners and porters working across public services in the region was a resounding 65% who said ‘no’.

Ravi Subramanian, UNISON West Midlands Regional Secretary said:

“UNISON members across the West Midlands have endured attacks and austerity from a Conservative led government for the past 5 years and the thought of Mr Cameron and his party having free reign in the next is worrying.

For such an overwhelming majority of our members to say that they are disappointed with the outcome of the election and given they face, according to the independent Institute of Fiscal Studies, further cuts of £50bn, they are right to be worried."

Fee Increase for Health Professionals

UNISON is asking MP’s to sign an Early Day Motion (EDM) which gives a voice to member’s opposition to the Health and Care Profession Council’s (HCPC) plans to increase fees by 12.5%.

The 330,000 health professionals, who will be affected by this change have no choice but to register with the council, are calling for this increase to be put on hold until the Health Select committee holds its annual accountability hearing.

Claire Campbell, UNISON West Midland Regional Manager and Political Lead, said:

“The proposed increase will have a significant impact on our members who have no choice but to pay the fee levied on them by the HCPC. The increase of 12.5% comes on top of  a 5% rise in 2014, this would mean a total increase of 17.5% in just 2 years.

The HCPC successfully increased its general reserves by nearly £1 million last year  but continues with little public or parliamentary Scrutiny.UNISON members have seen minimal pay rises and increased workloads over a number of years and are struggling to afford continued increase of this nature.

This motion (EDM41) simply asks for the planned increase to be put on hold until the health select committee has met and held its annual accountability hearing.”

UNISON is asking MPs from all sides of the house to sign the motion as well as table written or oral parliamentary questions.