All the union news that's fit to blog...
Nearly 100 tower crane operators at Wolffkran took their first day of strike action this week (Tuesday, January 27) after not receiving a pay rise in three years. Unite members at Wolffkran are furious that the company is now also seeking to cut some of their additional benefits including standby payments. Tower cranes are vitally […]
The post Crane drivers down tools appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite lab workers have taken on one of the biggest pathology companies in the world and won, with the successful campaign to improve pay and conditions resulting in a recruitment surge for the union and hundreds of new members joining. In October 2025 members working for Health Service Laboratories (HSL) and the Doctor’s Laboratory (TDL) […]
The post “Stop bleeding us dry!” appeared first on Unite Live.
Tower cranes across the UK could grind to a halt this winter as crane operators take strike action over pay and conditions. The strikes by workers from Wolffkran, one of the world’s largest rental companies of tower cranes, could see construction work at the UK building sites stop on days starting this January, and continuing […]
The post Crane drivers strike appeared first on Unite Live.
With vet care in the spotlight once again after the BBC’s Panorama programme highlighted the subject this week, Unite’s British Veterinary Union (BVU) wants to set the record straight. The latest episode of BBC Panorama, Why are Vet Bills So High?, is now available on BBC iPlayer and will air tonight on BBC One at […]
The post BBC Panorama: Unite vets speak out appeared first on Unite Live.
Tennis ball and snooker cloth makers started industrial action today (12 January) over pay that could result in shortages at tournaments. Workers at sports cloth manufacturer WSP Textiles are on strike action for the first time in their history which will see snooker and tennis tournaments under threat due to a lack of baize and […]
The post Felt let down appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite members employed by finance sector outsourcer Diligenta have today (January 12) restarted industrial action across five sites in a dispute over pay. The Diligenta staff in the head office site in Peterborough will now also be balloted for industrial action. Diligenta management have failed to meaningfully negotiate with Unite on pay and this strike […]
The post Diligenta staff escalate strike appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite members are being urged to put safety first as Storm Goretti brings yellow and amber weather warnings to large parts of the UK. The Met Office has given multiple warnings for snow and ice, wind and rain from today (8 Jan) til Friday, with some highlighting a “danger to life”. In conditions like this […]
The post Staying safe in the storm appeared first on Unite Live.
We hope you enjoyed UniteLive’s 12 days of Christmas series, where every day for the last 12 days, we’ve highlighted one of our stories of the year. It’s been a busy year for our union, and, as our general secretary Sharon Graham highlighted – it’s been a successful one. Since Sharon Graham was elected, more […]
The post UniteLive’s 12 days of Xmas – a final surprise gift! appeared first on Unite Live.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, UniteLive looks back at one of the union’s longest strikes of the year, which ended in victory in June after members employed by Livv Housing in Merseyside took a brave stand. It was when Unite rep Dave spoke to a member on the phone who was in tears, that […]
The post UniteLive’s 12 days of Xmas – ‘A fantastic deal’ appeared first on Unite Live.
Workers at three of the UK’s largest casinos have taken strike action over the busiest time of the year over their employers’ miserly “unsustainable” pay offer. Whilst workers resorted to picket lines over the freezing cold Christmas period, it was revealed that the bosses refused them a cost of living pay rise, and had been […]
The post All bets are off appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite reps at Hinkley Point C have spoken about the vital role of Health and Safety reps in the workplace in a new video from Unite South West. The film hears from Unite reps Sam Thomas and Maria Boyle and focuses on the toll that working away from home and family for long periods of […]
The post Mental Health Day at Hinkley Point C appeared first on Unite Live.
Party goers and Christmas shoppers may struggle to get home thanks to Scrooge bosses, while hard working public transport staff look for some Christmas cheers from their employers There are a number of disputes being planned over the festive season as transport staff struggle with poor pay at one of the busiest times of the […]
The post “Christmas chaos” appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite members sent cards to tight fisted Sports Direct bosses yesterday (17 December) telling them to “Stop being a Grinch and pay up.” The company is the biggest sports retailer in the UK, however despite this they feel they can’t afford a pay rise or permanent contracts for its workers. Earlier this month Unite branded […]
The post Grinch Direct appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite has responded to the announcement today (17 Dec) from the UK government that it will invest £120 million in Ineos’ chemical factory in Grangemouth, highlighting this must be just the first step. The government said that the investment will “protect vital chemical production and 500 jobs at Grangemouth, plus hundreds more in the supply […]
The post “Welcome step” for Grangemouth appeared first on Unite Live.
Hotel guests staying at Village Hotels in Leeds are facing Christmas chaos as workers walk out over demands for equal pay. Hospitality staff at Village Hotels in Leeds have joined colleagues from Glasgow in taking strike action in an ongoing dispute over jobs, pay and conditions. The workers at two Leeds hotels are to take […]
The post Hotel workers Christmas walk out appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite activists joined thousands of trade unionists from across the world in a day of action supporting US baristas, and telling Starbucks to wake up and smell the coffee. In Glasgow, Norwich and London Unite activists gathered in solidarity with US workers as part of the Starbucks Global Day of Action on Wednesday (10 Dec). […]
The post Unite sends solidarity to baristas appeared first on Unite Live.
Taxi drivers headed to Parliament this morning (3 December) to demand a fix to out-of-area licensing laws that put both jobs and safety at risk. Over a hundred drivers and supporters gathered to protest outside Parliament calling on the government to adopt the Casey report’s recommendation that the ‘out of area’ licensing loophole be immediately […]
The post Taxi protest appeared first on Unite Live.
The UK is facing a Guinness zero drought this Christmas as workers at the company’s Belfast brewery announced eight days of strikes this December in a dispute over pay. The workers who are members of Unite, will begin strike action on Friday 5 December and walkouts will continue until the early hours of Saturday 13 […]
The post My Goodness, No Guinness! appeared first on Unite Live.
Bus drivers across South Wales are celebrating a pay win after securing an above-inflation award following strike action across the network. Unite members had been locked in a bitter struggle with their employer First Cymru, which resulted in drivers resorting to eight days of strike action to highlight the low levels of pay they were […]
The post Welsh Bus Win appeared first on Unite Live.
A photographic exhibition in two libraries across Doncaster opened to the public on Friday (27 November) with the support of Unite Community. The Voice of the People project has been organised by Unite Community member Les Monaghan. It tells the stories of local people, through images and words, and the impact that austerity has had […]
The post Images of solidarity appeared first on Unite Live.