All the union news that's fit to blog...
Unite members in universities across the country have been busy getting out the vote for strike action as the campaign to improve staff pay gathers steam. Thousands of staff across 47 of the UK’s higher education institutions are currently being balloted for strike action after being offered an appalling real-terms pay cut by their employers. […]
The post “Have you voted yet?” appeared first on Unite Live.
Watch any news program where a procession, demonstration or strike is taking place and you can’t miss the colourful site of trade union banners marching proudly at the front. This is particularly striking at events such as the Durham Miners Gala and Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival. Unite South West has been working with the Shire Hall […]
The post Fabrics of Protest appeared first on Unite Live.
The UK is undeniably a nation of pet lovers – a majority, 60 per cent, owns a pet. Over a third of the population – totalling 13.5m households – keeps at least one dog. Almost just as many households – 12.5m households – own cats (or to be more accurate, are owned by cats). The […]
The post Vets: fair fees, fair pay, smaller profits appeared first on Unite Live.
International Stress Awareness Week 2025 is currently happening (3rd – 7th November). The annual awareness raising event focuses on the impact that stress can have on mental and physical health, and the importance of stress management. This year the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is saying that it is “Time to act on work-related stress” […]
The post Stressed Out appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite, as a European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) affiliate, stands in unequivocal solidarity with the sacked trade union leaders of Serbian air traffic controllers union Sindikat kontrole lentenja (SKL) and is urging members to sign a petition calling for their reinstatement. The two leaders, president Ranko Radovanovic and another union assembly member, were dismissed from […]
The post Solidarity for Serbian air traffic controllers appeared first on Unite Live.
The health and safety of workers has always been a priority for Unite, and every three years Unite Health & Safety Reps gather together to hear about new campaigns, share experiences with fellow reps and gather the latest resources. The next Unite National Health and Safety Conference will take place in Birmingham on 17 February […]
The post Safety gathering appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite members have sent a message of solidarity to the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), who this year has been celebrating its 20th-anniversary, marking two decades of unwavering dedication to workers’ rights and global solidarity. The BWI was founded on 9 December 2005 and has evolved into a global workers’ voice and united force, […]
The post BWI celebrates 20 years appeared first on Unite Live.
Thousands of staff across the UK’s higher education institutions are being balloted for strike action after being offered an appalling real-terms pay cut by their employers. The national ballot, covering all four nations, will ask members in 47 universities if they have had enough of poverty wages and will take their call for a decent […]
The post HE Ballot – Vote YES! appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite has turned up the heat on energy companies and the massive profits they make from the British public with the release of a new report today (3 November), with Unite general secretary Sharon Graham saying the profits were “completely obscene” in an interview on the BBC. The Unite Investigates Energy Profiteering report has lifted […]
The post ‘Obscene’ profiteering appeared first on Unite Live.
Hundreds of Unite activists joined fellow trade unionists, community activists, charities and anti-poverty campaigners at the Scotland Demands Better demonstration on Saturday (25 October) in Edinburgh. The demonstration is part of a growing nationwide campaign by workers and the people of Scotland to demand better jobs, better investment in ‘life’s essentials’ such as housing, transport, […]
The post Scotland Demands Better appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite’s annual Black History Month awards was held on Friday (23rd October) at a gala evening in Birmingham. The awards recognise and celebrate the contributions of Black and Asian Ethnic Minority (BAEM) activists and representatives within Unite and the trade union movement. The awards ceremony celebrates the hard work and achievements of BAEM members and […]
The post “Truly inspiring” appeared first on Unite Live.
A construction firm working on a large building project in East London has become one of the latest firms to sign a recognition agreement with Unite at the Wood Wharf development near Canary Wharf. Platt Reilly specialises in fitting facades, drylining and suspended ceilings and has worked on large projects across the UK and Ireland. […]
The post Building agreement appeared first on Unite Live.
On a mild October evening a theatre above a London pub in Highgate is packed for Francis Beckett’s timely new play set just after the Briton’s First Party wins its first general election led by a charming, but incredibly slimy, leader. Though now mainly known as an author for his plays and books Francis is […]
The post Wake up call appeared first on Unite Live.
Hundreds of workers, their families and members of the local community gathered outside Lindsey Oil refinery in Immingham on Wednesday (October 15) to demand that the government keep its promise to preserve jobs and production at the site. They were joined by Unite general secretary Sharon Graham who came to speak with the workers whose […]
The post Lindsey Oil Refinery rally – in photos appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite is always exploring new ways to organise workers, and in particular reach out to potential young members – and an initiative by members in the midlands is starting to reap rewards. At the end of September, East Midlands Unite Hospitality branch organised a stall at University of Nottingham freshers fair, where young reps and […]
The post Supporting students appeared first on Unite Live.
An escalating row over recognition at Milk & More is threatening the morning pinta for thousands of people across the UK. Unite has launched a new recognition campaign at the food and drink company after a sudden deterioration of industrial relations with new owners, linked to Nijjar Group. Milk & More is one of the […]
The post Milking workers appeared first on Unite Live.
A seemingly constant stream of bad news can be hard to avoid, and can have a negative impact on mental health, which is why the theme for today’s (October 10) World Mental Health Day 2025 is “Access to services”. The Mental Health Foundation says “This year’s theme is ‘access to services – mental health in […]
The post Troubling times appeared first on Unite Live.
Staff at Imperial College have taken their campaign over poor pay to the streets as they started a series of ten strike days this week. On Tuesday picket lines appeared at university campuses to tie in with the first week of teaching, whilst today (8 October) staff gathered outside the main campus entrance and the […]
The post Imperial’s insulting offer appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite in the South East region are running a workshop this Friday (10 Oct) for reps to improve their understanding of mental health issues. The South East Education Team are inviting Unite reps to join them on World Mental Health Day for an interactive Zoom workshop running from 10am – 12pm. Information on the workshop […]
The post Mental health is union business appeared first on Unite Live.
A meeting of a small group of like minded workers around a table resulted in Unite organising hundreds of new members across multiple sites, and one receiving an award from the TUC. The hard work of Unite rep Robert Smalley was recognised at the 2025 TUC Congress, when he received the “Organising Award” in Brighton. […]
The post Organising solidarity in Lincoln appeared first on Unite Live.