{"id":22983,"date":"2020-07-31T10:19:23","date_gmt":"2020-07-31T09:19:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=22983"},"modified":"2020-07-31T10:36:49","modified_gmt":"2020-07-31T09:36:49","slug":"heroes-and-zeroes-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=22983","title":{"rendered":"Heroes and zeroes"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Every Friday here on UniteLIVE, we bring you all the latest heroes and zeroes amid the coronavirus crisis. Here are this week’s latest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

HEROES<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NHS staff – fighting for a pay rise<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NHS staff – from doctors to nurses, cleaners to porters, paramedics to caterers and many more in between – are the unequivocal heroes amid the pandemic, working hard to tackle the virus at great risk to their lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for all their hard work, the vast majority of them have yet to receive a pay rise after being left out of a public sector pay rise announcement last week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Justifiably angry, Unite members and others working in the health service joined together in solidarity to demand they be rewarded for all their hard work. On Wednesday (July 29), Unite’s Guy’s and St Thomas Hospital branch led the way in a march on Downing Street. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find out more in our picture gallery here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Everyone campaigning to extend and expand free school meals<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of the chain restaurant Leon, was commissioned to carry out a review on behalf of the government and formulate a National Food Strategy – the first of its kind since the time of war rationing 75 years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His review was published this week and called on the government to expand free school meal eligibility so that 1.5m more children are eligible, to cover every school-aged child whose family is in receipt of Universal Credit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The review comes after last month, footballer Marcus Rashford pressed the government to extend free school meal vouchers throughout the summer school holidays, forcing the government to U-turn on the issue and agree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The victory inspired the Unite Community Norfolk branch to team up with others to launch a Norfolk Against Holiday Hunger campaign to make free school meals over the holidays permanent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unite Community Norfolk branch education officer Charlotte Godden, who is also chair of the Norfolk Against Holiday Hunger campaign, explained why free school meals over the holidays were so important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bFor so many children, the meal they get at school is the only hot meal that they get a day,” she said. “So when they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get that, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a huge pressure on parents who are struggling and obviously really difficult for the children who are used to getting that hot meal and then all of a sudden that stops over the holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re doing everything we can to help our local community but our resources are limited \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a national issue and the government needs to step up. While the work we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re doing is vital and we will continue doing it as long as it takes, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re just putting a plaster on the issue. Today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s National Food Strategy is a good start \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just it, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s only a start.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find out more in full story here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n