‘People are more unkind’: a glimpse inside Reform’s councils 

Last year, Reform UK gained control of 10 local councils across England. One year on, anonymous UNISON members in two of them speak of chaos and division

Book review: Repeat by Dennis Glover 

In his comparisons of populist political figures past and present, Glover offers a grim warning of history repeating itself

Disability and us

To mark Disability History Month 2025, two of UNISON’s most senior disabled activists, Jeanette Lloyd and Tina Kemp, share their thoughts on what needs to change for disabled people

Portrait of Bindu Parmar, in a part with trees behind her

Vindicated

Bindu Parmar speaks candidly about her long-running race discrimination case

Underpaid, undervalued, unseen – until now

‘We need a voice – I want to speak up for low-paid women’. Meet our new UNISON president, Catherine McKenna

Phlebotomist stands holding her child

We won’t strike in vein

On 4 July, Phlebotomists in Gloucester passed 100 days on the picket line

Andy Hewston stands in a blue shirt

Legal briefing: unfair dismissal for gross misconduct

UNISON legal officer Bruce Robin explains the technical details of school inspector Andy Hewston’s case

Andy Hewston sits by a window

UNISON finds Ofsted ‘inadequate’

Union member and long-time school inspector Andy Hewston was sacked by Ofsted for gross misconduct. Over six years, UNISON helped him fight back – and win

Photo of graduation ceremony

Failing to make the grade

UNISON members working in universities are facing the brunt of cuts because of a funding model that is ‘not fit for purpose’, as Janey Starling discovers 

Book cover and photo of Emily Callaci

Wages for Housework by Emily Callaci – book review  

A vivid and vital book by historian Emily Callaci shows how a campaign about women’s care work is as relevant today as it was in the 1970s. By Janey Starling