All the union news that's fit to blog...
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham reiterated her union’s call to take energy back into public hands at the Labour Party Conference on Monday (October 9), in a speech that was dominated by cheers and applause. Moving a motion on critical infrastructure, Unite’s leader began by thanking workers in Britain who “fought the profiteers as well […]
The post Energy back into public hands call appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite delegates proudly represented their union on the first day of the Labour Party Conference on Sunday (October 8) in Liverpool. See highlights from the conference in photos below, including Unite general secretary Sharon Graham with delegates, Unite delegate Angela Duerden making a powerful intervention on Labour party democracy, and Unite delegates launching a new […]
The post Unite at Labour Conference – Day 1 appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite delegate Susan Matthews gave a powerful speech on the first day of the Labour Party Conference on Sunday (October 8), opposing the Constitutional Amendments group ‘Getting our CLPs election ready’. Susan highlighted that at the Labour Party Conference in 2018, she spoke in support of additional equality officers in Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) being […]
The post ‘Keep our equality voices’ appeared first on Unite Live.
Ahead of the opening day of Labour Party Conference today (October 8) Unite launched the latest iteration of its Unite for a Workers’ Economy campaign by asking “Who Should Our Economy Work For?” Unite general secretary Sharon Graham and the union’s delegation unveiled the campaign slogan just before the conference got underway. Unite is undertaking […]
The post Economy ‘not working for working people’ appeared first on Unite Live.
In the early 1970s the American liberal philosopher John Rawls wrote “A just society is a society that if you knew everything about it, you’d be willing to enter it in a random place”. The quote sums up the aspirations of the age. Ever-rising living standards allowed ordinary workers to believe that their kids would […]
The post Labour ‘must be bold’ appeared first on Unite Live.
A Survation poll for Unite of over 1,000 adults in Red Wall seats reveals many voters share Unite’s concerns about Three’s owner, CK Hutchison, and its links to the Chinese state. If the merger is approved CK Group will have significant control over the privacy and security of 27 million UK mobile customers. As Unite […]
The post Today’s top stories…Red wall voter fears over Three-Vodafone merger appeared first on Unite Live.
Every day over the Christmas period, UniteLive is running a different story from our top stories of 2023. Today, we look back at how Unite reps Dave and Istvan are shaking things using TikTok to recruit migrant workers to Unite. — Unite reps and cousins Dave and Istvan Imre are giving the union a much-needed […]
The post UniteLive stories of the year – The ‘TikTok recruiters’ appeared first on Unite Live.
In his office, ‘man make-up’ immaculate as ever Romanian-born Unite rep Dave Imre lays out scores of filled out membership forms, casually cooling himself with a flamenco fan.
The post ‘You can change everything in this factory…’ appeared first on Unite Live.
But this exploitation of migrant seasonal workers is part of a much bigger picture. At the end of the chain, the UK’s biggest supermarket chains are driving down prices and working conditions, says Bev Clarkson, Unite’s national officer for food and agricultural members.
The post The secret stranglehold appeared first on Unite Live.
Sacre bleu! A Unite rep who managers dread dealing with because of her attention to detail and determination to help union members navigate their way through the cost of living crisis.
The post Unite for rural workers appeared first on Unite Live.
A new campaign aims to support Unite members and their families on Universal Credit (UC) by raising awareness of changes that are coming their way.
The post Govt attacks on the rural working poor appeared first on Unite Live.
The sun shone down on Wigan as a free festival run by volunteers keen to keep the memory of Gerald Winstanley alive, returned to the town earlier this September.
The post Wigan Diggers’ festival comes to life appeared first on Unite Live.
In a major achievement for Unite, DHL’s 230 workers who undertake ramp duties at the airport, will now have their pay, hours and holiday entitlement negotiated for them.
The post Today’s top story is…recognition for DHL workers appeared first on Unite Live.
Big story today from Unite – general secretary Sharon Graham demands politicians act to protect working people from the continued price hikes.
The post Today’s top story is…Unite action call to fight rising prices appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite issued a stark warning to the government commissioners appointed to run Birmingham council, today, September 19, following the authority effectively declaring bankruptcy, saying that “we will not sit back and allow our members’ jobs to be used to pay for others’ failures.”
The post Today’s top story is… Unite issues warning to Birmingham commissioners appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite delegates joined hundreds of others from across the trade union movement on the final day of TUC Congress 2023 in Liverpool. Below are some highlights from the last day in photos.
Unite executive head of operations Gail Cartmail gave her final speech on Wednesday (September 13) to TUC Congress after retiring from the TUC general council. Addressing Congress on the last day of the conference, Gail called it a “privilege” to have served on the general council, and she thanked her “terrific union Unite”, including “all […]
The post ‘Privilege to serve’ appeared first on Unite Live.
Speaking on behalf of Unite members in the finance and legal sector, Unite delegate Vanessa Williams gave an impassioned speech in support of a composite on financial services on the last day of Congress on Wednesday (September 13). She told Congress that the composite “outlines the impact of an industry which prioritises profiteering over communities […]
The post ‘Retail banks are community services’ appeared first on Unite Live.
Speaking on a composite on the war in Ukraine, Unite executive head of operations Gail Cartmail gave an impassioned speech in which she said Unite “unreservedly condemns Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and stands in full solidarity with the millions who are victims of that attack”. Gail highlighted the UN General Secretary’s report on children and […]
The post War ‘never in interests of working people’ appeared first on Unite Live.
‘No hiding places’
Unite Covid inquiry call
Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner spoke supporting a motion calling for a a public inquiry into Covid-19.
Welcoming the composite he said, “Unite was one of the unions that first called for a full and independent public inquiry and we continue to provide evidence to assist the TUC in coordinating our collective input.
“Like all of us we lost members to Covid … disproportionately from our Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities communities. In transport through retail to health and social care.
“Congress it’s no surprise after 13 years of austerity, cuts to public services, privatisation and deregulation … it was working class communities, those already struggling with poor health, too often relying on food banks and, living in housing that in many cases should have been condemned long ago that bore the brunt of the pandemic.”
He continued, “We’ve also highlighted that many sectors with the highest number of deaths have a history of both long and unsocial hours and asked that the inquiry investigate whether this made workers more susceptible to the disease.
“So we welcome the call to highlight the equalities impact of the pandemic. Congress, the motion calls for decision makers to be held to account.”
Steve went on to say, “While we can be rightly proud of our collective role in protecting millions with furlough, and our members who returned to work to manufacture the PPE and medical ventilators desperately needed on the front line.
“Government ministers who failed to prepare, went on to fail us at every level. Passing VIP lane contracts to mates who went on to bill us for millions from the bar of the pub they ran.
“While they were pissing it up in Downing Street, across the river loved ones were gasping their last breath.
“So we say let there be no hiding places, no escape routes or collective failure excuses. We demand that those responsible for gross negligence, corruption or a wider dereliction of public duty are identified, prosecuted and locked up. Denied their freedom just as they denied some 229,000 victims a full and healthy life.”
He concluded by adding a final call to Congress. “We pay tribute to the work and determination of Covid Bereaved Families to seek justice and we stand here in absolute solidarity with them.”
By Amanda Campbell
Pic by Mark Thomas
The post ‘No hiding places’ appeared first on Unite Live.