News Room

The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) monitors compliance with the European Social Charter, protecting social and economic human rights in Council of Europe member states. Composed of 15 independent experts, it reviews national reports and decides on collective complaints to ensure national laws adhere to the Charter's principles.

Please find attached letter regarding the above which has been sent to the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice.

The POA, as one of the 14 trade unions on the NHS Staff Council, has agreed that there will be a campaign to register our disappointment with the imposed pay increase by the Government and to garner support from our members to place pressure on the Government to negotiate a fair and sustainable pay settlement for future years. 

The Government must improve on its inadequate 3.3% pay rise for NHS staff by putting significant extra funding into long-delayed pay restructure talks or the workforce crisis will continue to grow, Health Unions say.

On the 17th March John McDonnell MP Labour Hayes and Harlington and POA honorary life member asked the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of compensating people who were unable to pay (a) mortgages, (b) credit card Bills and (c) other household bills due to delays in payments from the Civil Service Pensions Scheme.

As part of our ongoing Campaign to have our Right to Strike Reinstated, the POA will shortly be distributing pre-printed postcards to all our members. The postcards contain a message to the Prime Minister urging him to Reinstate our Right to Strike.

The POA have previously circulated information that we support the above demonstration, and I am now writing to you again to encourage our members to be aware of and, where appropriate, support the upcoming “Together March” taking place in London on Saturday, 28^th March 2026.

Please find attached letter regarding the above which has been sent to the Deputy Prime Minister.

Prevention and protection from violence at work is a Health and Safety focus for the TUC this year, thanks to a push at Congress 2025.

I want to extend my sincere thanks to all of you for your continued support and for the trust you’ve placed in me.