A general view of staff on a NHS hospital ward at Ealing Hospital in London, January 18, 2023
THE care sector would have collapsed long ago without overseas workers, Unison warned today, as government data showed a sharp decline in the granting of health and care worker visas.
Home Office figures show that 27,174 of the visas were granted in 2024 – an 81 per cent decrease compared to 2023.
Unison general secretary Christina McAnea described the drop as “worrying.”
Faced with employer abuse and exploitation, low-paid overseas staff have been the backbone of Britain’s health and social care sectors. The Labour government must abandon plans to punish them with draconian visa restrictions, writes CLARE WILLIAMS, Unison national officer
Unison national officer CLARE WILLIAMS spoke to the Morning Star about the union’s priority campaigns and why they will not let up just because the Prime Minister has changed
Roger McKenzie talks to general secretary of Unison CHRISTINA McANEA about the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on members, the local government funding emergency and the threat of Reform UK
The visa system traps workers with abusive employers, creating a vulnerable workforce scared to complain for fear of deportation — that is why we’re campaigning for a ‘common sponsorship’ model instead, writes FAVOUR DAVIDKING