Nearly half (45%) of public service workers say they lose sleep worrying about the people who depend on them, according to a new UNISON survey.
The union’s poll of 1,400 staff across health, social care, education and policing found 87% say their workload has grown over the past year, 79% are being asked to do more with fewer resources, and 73% say colleagues who leave are often not replaced.
Despite this, the survey found that 86% still feel their work makes a positive difference.
UNISON has launched a petition calling on the Government to invest in public services ahead of the Autumn budget, alongside a film highlighting workers' daily contributions.
General secretary Andrea Egan said staff were ‘being pushed to the limits’ and that their dedication had ‘for too long’ been taken for granted.
‘The Government must show up for public service staff in this year's budget. That means investing properly in the services communities rely on, improving staff pay to reverse the years of real-terms cuts, and delivering on the wave of insourcing that Labour promised,’ she said.
