All the union news that's fit to blog...
Unite’s consultative ballot in England on the government’s NHS offer ends on 28th April. So far the known results show that members in a large number of NHS trusts are voting to reject the offer. Union representatives in those trusts with a live strike mandate will now be issuing strike notices. This was agreed at […]
The post ‘New wave of NHS strike action’ appeared first on Unite Live.
“I could open a farm there,” Vadim Sardov, 24, joked about the inside of his caravan window, where it was so mouldy that plants started to sprout. Sardov came to the UK from Kazakhstan last September on a British government visa scheme for farm workers. He worked at a packhouse in Essex for UK Salads, […]
The post ‘It’s almost the same as living on the street’ appeared first on Unite Live.
The UK’s biggest supermarket Tesco continues its shameless profiteering spree, Unite said on Thursday (April 13) as the stock exchange published the retailer’s latest figures. Although Tesco’s profits were down from last year’s profits bonanza – which totalled a record-breaking £2bn in pre-tax profits – the supermarket still made an astonishing £3bn in profits over […]
The post ‘Astonishing corporate greed’ appeared first on Unite Live.
Workers employed by Lineside Logistics based at Ford’s engine plant in Dagenham are being balloted for industrial action in a dispute over pay. The ballot for industrial action began this week and closes on Tuesday 2 May. If the 120 plus workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, vote for industrial action […]
The post Dagenham Ford plant facing standstill appeared first on Unite Live.
Workers employed at Saica Paper UK Ltd in Manchester are to begin industrial action this month in a dispute over pay. The 40 members of Unite are employed in production roles at the Manchester Road factory. The company produces 100 per cent recycled paper for corrugated cardboard. The workers recorded a 97 per cent vote […]
The post Saica paper workers to strike appeared first on Unite Live.
Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) is set for a shock exodus of security officers, according to a confidential survey of Unite members at the airport. The survey of over 750 security officers revealed that one in three are planning to leave their jobs within the next six months, while almost half of respondents are unsure whether […]
The post Heathrow set for summer of strife appeared first on Unite Live.
Eight-seven-five. Angel still remembers her number, months after leaving the UK. The number assigned to her by the farm. The number used instead of her name when her supervisor ordered her to work faster or punished her. Angel, a single mother from South Africa, said that she felt like a prisoner, being shouted at and […]
The post ‘They treat you like an animal’ appeared first on Unite Live.
Migrant agricultural workers who travelled thousands of miles to plug labour gaps on UK farms have faced unlawful wage deductions, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and VICE World News can reveal. Research by TBIJ and VICE World News, along with case work data from the Work Rights Centre, found that more than 20 people working […]
The post Migrant workers ripped off by employers on farms appeared first on Unite Live.
The British Veterinary Union in Unite are disappointed but not surprised that 4 out of 10 companies in the recently published BBC survey on the top ten UK companies with the worst gender pay gap, are companies providing veterinary services in the United Kingdom. These four companies employ over half of the veterinary workforce in […]
The post Veterinary services among worst offenders for gender pay gap appeared first on Unite Live.
Pay strikes by over 300 staff responsible for Harlow council’s housing stock and the cleaning and maintenance of council grounds and buildings are to intensify, Unite said on Tuesday (March 28). The workers, who are employed by HTS, which is wholly owned by Harlow district council, began strike action in late February. New strike dates […]
The post Harlow council strikes intensify appeared first on Unite Live.
The state pension age is already too high – it’s due to rise to 67 by 2028 and 68 by 2046. The government must rule out raising the state pension age further in the forthcoming Work and Pensions review. The state pension age is already too high and the government must clearly rule out plans […]
The post Unite to fight pension age rises appeared first on Unite Live.
Fears that the JLR plant at Halewood on Merseyside could grind to a halt this spring have been averted after Unite agreed a deal with the company’s contractor DHL, following the withdrawal of shift premiums. The dispute arose as a result of the DHL workforce – who are employed on the logistics and dispatch contract […]
The post DHL workers at JLR Halewood win appeared first on Unite Live.
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has finally acknowledged the role that rising prices is playing in soaring inflation — but Unite warned that Bailey is still failing to recognise the depth of the profiteering crisis. Last week, Bailey warned that businesses that set prices above inflation will risk embedding higher prices into the economy. […]
The post ‘Profiteering epidemic’ appeared first on Unite Live.
West Midlands bus strikes have ended after a ballot of more 3,100 National Express drivers resulted in an improved offer being accepted, Unite announced on Saturday (March 25). The offer includes a one-year 16.2 per cent pay increase and improvements to the drivers’ accident pay and hourly rates for working over the Christmas holidays. National […]
The post National Express West Mids pay win appeared first on Unite Live.
Commenting on the latest ONS inflation figures released on Wednesday (March 22), Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “Inflation is back on the rise and workers continue to be hammered by high prices. “Unite’s own research shows that it’s profits propelling inflation, while workers’ wages struggle to keep up. In 2021, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda […]
The post Inflation – no end in sight appeared first on Unite Live.
More reports have emerged of union busting bullying at National Express after strikes by more than 3,100 bus drivers began this week, Unite said on Wednesday (March 22). Workers are increasingly angry over the company’s strike breaking tactics, which include unjustly calling the police to peaceful picket lines and threatening striking workers with job losses […]
The post National Express union-busting harassment hotline launched appeared first on Unite Live.
Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, has written to prime minister Rishi Sunak, calling for urgent action to protect the UK’s sovereign steel making capability. The letter was written in the wake of last week’s budget, which failed to deliver the comprehensive support package the industry urgently needs. You can read the full text of […]
The post Steel – urgent government action call appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite’s ground-breaking campaign for free and safe late-night transport to be provided to workers has been adopted as a policy at the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) conference, held in Johannesburg, South Africa. The ITF consists of 700 affiliated trade unions from 153 countries, representing more than 20 million working people across the world. The […]
The post Get Me Home Safely motion carried at ITF global union conference appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite the union has secured an inflation-busting pay increase for tanker drivers employed on the Phillips 66 contract delivering to Jet Garages and employed by JW Suckling. The deal is worth up to £11,000 a year for the drivers based in Essex, Grangemouth and West London. However, strike action involving Hoyer drivers based in the […]
The post JW Suckling drivers secure ‘fantastic’ pay rise appeared first on Unite Live.
A massive pay victory for Woolwich Ferry workers brings years of industrial unrest on the river Thames to an end. Following a series of strikes against low pay and bullying, the absolute determination of Woolwich Ferry workers has ultimately delivered an excellent pay deal which at long last recognises the contribution the workers make to […]
The post Woolwich Ferry pay win appeared first on Unite Live.