Unison chief warns this could be year of industrial action

Christina McAnea points to rise in national insurance and says PM is pushing social care sector towards collapse

The general secretary of the UK's biggest union has warned this could be the year of industrial action over pay as workers feel they have had enough" with low wages, a national insurance rise and universal credit cut after working hard during the pandemic.

Christina McAnea, who took on the role at Unison in January, also told Boris Johnson that his smoke-and-mirrors" offer on social care and the mandatory Covid-19 jab policy for care workers was putting the sector at risk of collapse, with many unvaccinated staff having already received notice they were at risk of dismissal. Up to 10% of care staff could lose their jobs because of refusing to be vaccinated by November, worsening the sector's existing workforce shortages.