A new year brings new challenges and new chances to win together. In 2026, public service workers across Wales will keep pushing for fair pay, safe staffing and properly funded services. When members organise, things change. Here’s to a year of solidarity. ✊

As 2025 comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on what public service workers across Wales have faced and won together. From NHS pay justice to progress for school support workers, members stood together under real pressure and made change happen. We’re also now UNISON Cymru. 🎉

Local government workers keep communities going, often without recognition. In rural areas like Powys, preventative services matter, but underfunding puts people and communities at risk. John Byrne, branch secretary, Powys County UNISON. unsn.uk/apsereport

Quality care depends on experience and training. Council workers continually improve services so people receive modern, effective care, but this relies on proper funding. John Lane, dementia care worker, Newport city council. unsn.uk/apsereport

Local government services are part of everyday life. Council staff deliver vital support for everyone, especially the most vulnerable, but this work depends on fair and proper funding. Gwawr Eilian, branch secretary, UNISON Gwynedd, Môn a Prifysgol Bangor. unsn.uk/apsereport

Local authority budgets are under huge pressure. Councils deliver essential services every day, often unnoticed, but without proper funding communities will lose what they rely on most. Jan Davies, chair, UNISON Cymru local government committee. unsn.uk/apsereport

Special schools run on skill, care and commitment. Budget cuts mean fewer staff, rising needs, and support staff struggling to get by, while pupils with complex needs lose vital support. Vikki Giles, higher level teaching assistant. unsn.uk/apsereport

This Christmas, we want to say thank you to public service workers across Wales. Many of you will be working through the festive period. Others are enjoying the day off because trade unions fought for workers to enjoy much needed time away from the pressures of work.

Local services depend on the people who deliver them. Workers are being asked to do more with less, but passion alone cannot keep services running. Proper investment can. Denise Owen, branch secretary, Ceredigion UNISON. unsn.uk/apsereport

On BBC Wales yesterday, UNISON member and teaching assistant Jan Murray and UNISON Cymru head of schools Rosie Lewis spoke about the reality of life for school support staff in Wales.

On 17 December, migrant care workers from across Wales went to Parliament to speak out about unfair visa rules. Some MPs were not able to hear directly from their constituents. This video shares what UNISON member Ifeoma wanted to say to @andrewranger-mp.bsky.social about the care worker visa. ✊🏽

Your UNISON Wrapped 2025 📊💜 Thank you to all our members, activists, branches and staff for a fantastic year. Here's to a successful 2026.

Underfunding in schools shows up every day. Fewer staff, fewer resources, and pupils missing the support they need, while good staff leave because pay is so low. Amanda Price, teaching assistant. unsn.uk/apsereport

It’s the first week of the Christmas holidays and many teaching assistants are not being paid. While schools celebrate festive performances and classroom magic, teaching assistants are worrying about how to cover the cost of Christmas for their own families. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Keeping communities clean and safe is essential work. It will always be needed and must be properly funded so services can be delivered to a high standard. Logan Toy, cleansing worker, Caerphilly council. unsn.uk/apsereport

Care staff from every Walsingham Support service in Neath Port Talbot have written to chief executive Holly Spiers and the board asking them to reconsider their refusal to pass on the Real Living Wage to care staff in Wales. This is meant to be the minimum pay for care workers in Wales. ☃️

Social work is about trust at the hardest moments. Chronic underfunding means unmanageable caseloads, staff shortages and families not getting the support they need. Evelyn Williams, social worker. unsn.uk/apsereport

Local government touches almost every part of our lives. With proper funding, councils can support communities, create good jobs, and build a fairer, more resilient future. Lianne Dallimore, branch secretary, Caerphilly UNISON. unsn.uk/apsereport

Good care depends on time, staff and funding. Chronic underfunding is exhausting care workers and leaving people without the support they deserve. Denise Thomas, support worker, adult social care. unsn.uk/apsereport

Local government cannot run on goodwill alone. Without proper funding, councils will be forced to cut jobs and outsource services when communities need them most. Mark Fisher, branch secretary, Neath Port Talbot UNISON. unsn.uk/apsereport

Care staff from every @autisticsociety.bsky.social service in Neath Port Talbot have written to chief executive Caroline Stevens and the board asking them to reconsider their refusal to pass on the Real Living Wage to care staff in Wales.

Yesterday, migrant care workers from Wales travelled to Westminster with UNISON to demand change. They joined more than a thousand care workers calling for urgent action to fix a visa system that is driving exploitation and modern slavery across the care sector.

Hundreds of overseas staff working in social care and the NHS travelled to Westminster today to lobby MPs over plans to restrict visa rules for care workers. Follow updates here ⬇️ unsn.uk/3MLAeAz

We launched our important new report today, examining the true cost of 15 years of cuts to local services in Wales. The message from every speaker was the same: councils have been cut to the bone.

UNISON members have elected Andrea Egan as the union’s next general secretary. Full details and turnout information are available here ⬇️ unsn.uk/43AqMWf

Care workers keep our communities going. They deserve safety, stability and fair pay. This year, 50 UNISON Cymru care workers from 35 employers across Wales have shared their experiences with members of Parliament, a council leader and the Welsh Government’s social care minister.

UNISON Cymru members have chosen the winning design in our all-Wales artwork competition and we’re delighted to announce that the winner is Yasmin Warrey. 🎨

Come to the UNISON Cymru Welfare Seminar Day on 24 March 2026! 📢 Calling all branch welfare officers. Join us in Cardiff for a day of practical training, updates and support to help you and your colleagues make the most of There for You. Book your place today. Email [email protected]. 🎅

Heddiw yw'r cyfle olaf i bleidleisio dros boster coffaol cyntaf UNISON Cymru. Byddwch yn rhan o'r foment hanesyddol hon. Gwiriwch eich mewnflwch a phleidleisiwch heddiw. 🎨

Today is the last chance to vote for the first commemorative UNISON Cymru poster. Your email contains your unique link to vote for one of the three designs created by Welsh artists. The winning artwork will be professionally printed and displayed in UNISON Cymru offices and branches across Wales. 🎨

Mae dyluniad Emma Smith yn dathlu undod, gwydnwch a hunaniaeth Gymreig. Mae draig goch yn codi uwchben dyffrynnoedd a strydoedd teras, gyda symbolau o wreiddiau dosbarth gweithiol Cymru wedi'u gwehyddu drwyddo draw. Mae'r wawr yn cynrychioli gobaith ar y cyd a'r gred ein bod yn codi gyda'n gilydd.

Emma Smith’s design celebrates unity, resilience and Welsh identity. A red dragon rises above valleys and terraced streets, with symbols of Wales’ working-class roots woven throughout. The sunrise represents collective hope and the belief that together we rise.

Care workers, families and communities deserve a social care system that puts people before profit. Too many services in Wales are stretched thin and people in Pontypridd are feeling the impact.

Healthcare support workers across Wales have shown the power of standing together. In this video, workers explain how their roles expanded to include clinical duties without the pay to match. Their organising changed that. 🎥 Watch here: youtu.be/C_6yv5J_GKU

Today we launched Time to value school support staff: The case for a Wales School Support Staff Negotiating Body, our major new report produced with the Labour Research Department.

🚨 NEW: School support staff across Wales are being pushed into poverty because the current system for setting pay isn’t working. A major new LRD report shows staff are routinely graded incorrectly, working above their contracted hours and rarely paid for the extra responsibilities they take on.

Mae dyluniad Yasmin Warrey yn canolbwyntio ar genhinen pedr sydd wedi troi'n fegaffon. Mae'n adlewyrchu sut mae UNISON Cymru yn cryfhau lleisiau gweithwyr ac yn uno pobl i siarad fel un. Mae'r dyluniad yn symboleiddio Cymru, cartref, gobaith a dechreuad newydd.

Yasmin Warrey’s design centres on a daffodil-turned-megaphone. It reflects how UNISON Cymru amplifies the voices of workers and unites people to speak as one. The design symbolises Wales, home, hope and new beginnings.

Ydych chi wedi pleidleisio eto? Mae Beth Wilks wedi creu dyluniad crefft papur wedi'i dorri â llaw sy'n dathlu amrywioldeb, cymuned a thraddodiad balch Cymru o brotest.

Have you voted yet? Beth Wilks has created a hand-cut papercraft design that celebrates diversity, community and Wales’ proud tradition of protest. Workers stand side by side beneath a Davy lamp, with colours inspired by women’s suffrage and the long history of union banners in Wales.

This morning the whole of Nant Celyn Primary School in Torfaen came together as UNISON Cymru regional secretary Jess Turner and school support staff forum chair Sara Allen presented the Stars in Our Schools award to Tina Goodland at a special assembly.

Tina Goodland has been named the Cymru winner of Stars in Our Schools 2025. Tina is the family liaison officer at Nant Celyn Primary School and was nominated by parents and colleagues for the incredible support she gives to families every day.

This year we heard about a support worker who signs in assemblies, records signed stories for pupils and helps create resources used across the school. Their passion helps deaf learners participate confidently and ensures no child misses out. Support staff like this make education accessible. 📚

Support staff play a vital role in making classrooms truly inclusive. One nominee was celebrated for using British Sign Language to help a pupil learn alongside classmates and feel fully part of the lesson. Their patience, kindness and willingness to step in wherever needed support the whole class.💬

Behind every calm, welcoming school dining hall is a support worker who makes sure every child can sit down to a meal that feels safe and familiar. One nominee this year was recognised for crafting personalised menus for autistic pupils and making sure no child is ever left out. 🍽️

Moment hanesyddol i UNISON Cymru. Mae gan aelodau nawr y cyfle i ddewis y poster coffaol cyntaf erioed i ddathlu ein hunaniaeth ddatganoledig newydd. Mae hwn yn gyfle unigryw i helpu â llunio sut rydym yn cyflwyno ein hunain i Gymru a'r byd.

Historic moment for UNISON Cymru. Members now have the chance to choose the first ever commemorative poster celebrating our new devolved identity. This is a unique opportunity to help shape how we present ourselves to Wales and the world. With @redshoesposters.bsky.social

Social care should be free of profit and built around the needs of every community. People in Pontypridd know the system is under real pressure and this is a chance to talk about what needs to change.

School support staff are often the people who bring energy, warmth and connection into a school. One nominee told us about a colleague who creates clubs, supports young carers and builds inclusive spaces where every child feels they belong. Their humour and care shape the wellbeing of the school. ⭐

Today’s UK budget offers some welcome relief for families, but it still leaves public services in Wales under pressure. Read our full response from UNISON Cymru regional secretary Jess Turner: cymru-wales.unison.org.uk/news/2025/11...