Charlotte Upton, Unite member and electrician at Tata steel in Scunthorpe, has written an open letter to Prime Minister David Cameron urging him to stop sitting on his hands and to step in and save…Read more…
Send in the ‘clowns’
The Tory response to the long emerging crisis in the UK steel industry has turned to slow motion farce. There’s been no action, when action is need now. Business secretary Sajid Javid took one…Read more…
Chorus of disapproval
There has been a chorus of disapproval over the government’s approach to the steel crisis, their linked claims of a ‘northern powerhouse’ and being the party of ‘workers’. What’s the verdict? – warm…Read more…
Episode 8: ‘Faster! faster! the guests are waiting’
Sounds familiar? If you work in the hospitality industry you can join www.unitetheunion.org – if you earn less than the Living Wage (£9.15ph in London, £7.85 outside) for just £2.10 per week….Read more…
Steel meltdown
As a critical modern industry faces meltdown caused by artificially cheap Chinese steel flooding the UK and European markets, Cameron, Osborne and Javid are caught frozen in the headlights. …Read more…
Water workers face pensioner poverty
Today (Tuesday October 20) Northumbrian Water group workers start industrial action over the prospect of losing their pensions. Water supplies in the north east of England face possible…Read more…
Dark day for steel
Today (Tuesday October 20) Tata steel confirmed its plan to cut 1,200 jobs in Scunthorpe and Scotland. Unite warned that this ‘dark day’ would damage steel companies and hit supply chains…Read more…
A nation on the brink?
I’m in a deep sleep after a restless night with the baby waking constantly when the alarm goes off. Its 05.45, its dark outside and the rest the house is silent as they all sleep peacefully. …Read more…
Defining moment
The crisis in the UK steel industry is a defining moment for the Conservative government. Having talked up the ‘March of the makers’ and the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ the past few…Read more…
Last plea to Tories
The government is sticking to its guns over cuts to tax credits. To persuade the public (and their own MPs) of a plan that the electorate didn’t vote for, they’ve released figures that claim these…Read more…
Episode 7: ‘I would like to go to the union meeting’
Sounds familiar? If you work in the hospitality industry you can join www.unitetheunion.org – if you earn less than the Living Wage (£9.15ph in London, £7.85 outside) for just £2.10 per week….Read more…
Steel in the blood
On January 14 this year the future of steel, according to David Cameron was as follows: “We are working as hard as we can to make sure we keep steel production growing in our country….Under…Read more…
Deadly asbestos ignored
More than 20 workers have been exposed to asbestos after the Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester failed to deal with the cancer causing substance – putting staff, patients and…Read more…
Domino effect
Steel firm Caparo Industries has today (Monday October 19) announced it is going into administration putting 1,700 jobs at risk. Unite described the news as ‘yet another hammer blow’ to jobs and…Read more…
No, Prime Minister
On Wednesday (October 14), David Cameron told the House of Commons that he and I agreed. No, prime minister, we most certainly do not. For the avoidance of doubt, let me spell it out. The…Read more…
Broken promises and tax credit cuts
They’ve been described as plans based on “political and class dogma, and not economic necessity” by Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey; part of an economic package that will worsen inequality, by…Read more…
Episode 6: ’18 rooms?! This is impossible to do!’
Sounds familiar? If you work in the hospitality industry you can join www.unitetheunion.org – if you earn less than the Living Wage (£9.15ph in London, £7.85 outside) for just £2.10 per week….Read more…
Time ticking on UK steel
Time is ticking on the UK’s steel industry and urgent action from the government is needed, not platitudes, warned Unite following today’s (October 16) steel summit in Rotherham. Commenting on…Read more…
Threat to democracy
Some of the country’s top trade union leaders gave evidence to MPs at a committee hearing over the trade union Bill yesterday (October 15). The general secretaries of Unite, GMB, Unison and…Read more…
Steel summit: united front for action
The UK steel industry presented a united front to government ministers at the steel summit in Rotherham today (October 16). And as the coke ovens were shutting down in Redcar on Teesside the…Read more…