This is an historic day for working people across the UK and the RCM has been proud to stand alongside our fellow TUC unions in the long campaign to deliver real rights for working people, and to end the anti-trade union measures put in place to stop public sector workers taking industrial action when things need to change at work. It’s been a long haul – but we’ve supported this campaign at rallies and on the streets and we want to pay a special tribute to all of our members and activists who have joined us over the years in this campaign.  You can see more here.

Midwives and MSWs are working so hard to keep services afloat, against a backdrop of exhaustion and burnout, being blamed for the inadequacy of services and facilities. It might feel as if this new act of Parliament is distant from your working life. But in reality, it is changes like this that mean the wellbeing of staff can be protected and we can see meaningful change that will improve your lives and the safety of the care you are able to provide. It is only through the work of RCM members and activists that we can see such changes come through to end poor practice and improve health and safety  

Day in day out the RCM continues to fight for our members, pushing for staff staffing, safe workplaces and safe services and recognising – as both a professional association and a trade union – the inextricable link between all three. 

New rights secured in the new law include: 

• Paternity and parental leave from day one 

• Sick pay from day one with no pay floor 

• Unfair dismissal rights from six months 

• Bereavement leave – as a result of a campaign by one of our activists Janet Ballentine 

• Action on gender and menopause pay gaps 

• Whistleblowing protection for sexual harassment 

• Increased protection for trades union rights 

• Increased pregnancy and maternity rights 

• Action on public sector outsourcing, and fire and rehire on worse conditions 

• There are many other areas of new protection, and we will send out a more detailed briefing for members in the coming months. We will also be by your side in making sure employers respect these new rights. 

This legislation does not apply in Northern Ireland, however legislation will be brought forward in due course to cover Northern Ireland.  

Our membership of the TUC gives us a strength way beyond our numbers and means that we can raise their issues that matter in maternity and garner the widespread support of the trade union movement.  

It is the RCM who took the campaign for the end the scandal to unpaid overtime in maternity units to TUC2023 – and we’ve followed this up with local action to achieve workplace wins. 

It’s the RCM who highlighted the need for inclusive maternity services and stood in solidarity fighting for the rights of bank workers at TUC2024 

And it is the RCM who took the plight of student midwives to the TUC this year, achieving the new jobs guarantee for students. 

We hear the strong calls for action from our members and supporters, including the 14,000 people who’ve signed a petition recently for a limit to working hours. Midwives and MSWs won’t walk away from a woman in need when working hours are up, but that doesn’t mean we can be walked over by poor management, poor employment practices or a failure of Government action. 

And where members want to take action, including industrial action, the RCM is there to support them. As we were for midwives in South Tyneside and Sunderland as they voted yes to industrial action.

The RCM’s power lies in its members and its activists, and they guide what we do, not just locally but nationally across the 4 nations. Our approach is no ‘walk over’, we get results with employers and for midwives and MSWs across the country. Here’s just some of our recent wins:  

• Strengthening compensatory rest guidance for midwives in Scotland 
• Re-banding and backpay win for maternity support workers
• Victory for MSWs in Wales as fairer pay deal delivers long-overdue recognition
• RCM members celebrate victory over pay in Northern Ireland

The RCM is an organisation built on the principles of activism. It gives us credibility when we take your voice to decision-makers in Government and Parliament. This leads to real progress that workers will benefit from. From Zepherina Veitch tackling poverty in Victorian London, Miss Quintin Smith advocating for midwives in Scotland, right through to our modern-day activists winning at work for members every day.  

We support them with training and resources giving them the ability to bargain for and win real change at work.

Strong trades unions are the only way to change poor working practices. That’s why the RCM is part of the TUC, is in every workplace, and is standing alongside every member wherever they work. It’s why we fight on issues that are widely shared and deeply felt and it’s why if members want to challenge unfairness we will support them up to and including taking action. 

So thank you activists for everything you do!