Unite is calling on MPs from across the political divide to take a stand against UK hunger by supporting the Hope not Hunger pop-up foodbank when it comes to parliament on Wednesday (December 7)….Read more…
‘Forgotten face’ of insecure work
Unite and the TUC have called for stricter legislation to prevent the exploitation of agency workers, after a study found that 1m people will be working for employment agencies in Britain by 2020….Read more…
Blacklisting: justice fight goes on
While trade unionists spent years being monitored by construction firms in a shocking blacklisting scandal uncovered seven years ago, with many workers not being able to find work for decades, it is…Read more…
UPS parcel strike off
Strikes scheduled for Wednesday (December 7) and Friday (December 9) by UPS parcel workers at the delivery firm’s Camden depot have been called off Unite announced today (December 5). Over 140…Read more…
‘Draconian’ management style
Unite working at the Doncaster waste transfer station will be taking part in a one-day strike on December 12 over a ‘draconian’ management style and a ‘derisory’ pay offer which will leave workers 30…Read more…
Pension scheme ‘betrayal’
Workers at AWE plc – the Atomic Weapons Establishment – will be lobbying MPs over their pensions’ ‘betrayal’ at the Houses of Parliament tomorrow (December 6). The lobby will coincide…Read more…
Small claims changes – another attack on workers’ rights
The Government are planning to change the rules for compensation claims that would make it much more difficult for workers to get the money they are entitled to when their employer’s negligence…Read more…
Should Brexit be left to politicians and mandarins?
The online media platform reporting on EU matters, euractiv.com, has published a list of the 50 most influential people in the Brexit debate. Angela Merkel tied with Theresa May for top spot, which…Read more…
Happy International Day of Disabled People from the UK Government
Today is the 25th International Day of Disabled People. As of Thursday the government didn’t seem to have anything planned, so I will try to fill the gap by discussing what the Day should mean to our government and what’s actually happening in the UK. As it’s an international day, the most obvious…Read more…
Privatising East Coast is a bad deal for passengers and taxpayers
Virgin Trains is set to increase rail fares by 4.9% overall in 2017, compared to the average 2.6% rise across the UK. In 2015, Virgin Trains won the East Coast Main Line franchise when the line was hurriedly re-privatised ahead of the General Election,…Read more…
‘More than tinkering at the edges’
Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner on buy-to-let tax loopholes: “Solving the housing crisis and protecting private tenants facing spiralling rents will require a lot more than…Read more…
At the mercy of landlords
Buy-to-let landlords are using loopholes to avoid new taxes which come into effect April of next year, with many saying that they intend to hike up rents, according to a new report. Chancellor…Read more…
Right to remain: Theresa May can break the deadlock
This week has seen a string of headlines about prospects for EU citizens in the UK and Brits in the EU’s right to remain after Brexit. Much of the media took aim at EU leaders – particularly German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President of the European Council Donald Tusk – for…Read more…
Recognise our value
Shipbuilders on the Clyde breathed a sigh of relief when the UK government announced last month that work on the Type-26 frigate programme would begin in earnest next summer, after the project had…Read more…
Hope not hunger
Unite is teaming up with anti-poverty charity Trussell Trust and calling on the public to help families facing hunger this Christmas as foodbanks’ busiest month of the year begins. Find out…Read more…
Spinning the railways
UK passengers spend up to six times as much of their salary on rail fares than commuters using largely publicly owned railways in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. We have the most expensive commuter fares in Europe – and it’s no coincidence that out of those countries listed, we’re the only one…Read more…
Green Paper is a missed opportunity to create a Corporate Governance system that works for everyone
The glaring omission of yesterday’s Corporate Governance Green Paper is its failure to include any proposals to deliver on Theresa May’s promise to put workers on company’s boards. On other issues, it includes a few sensible suggestions, but these are wedged between others that would be make little…Read more…
‘They simply don’t care’
Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner on benefits sanctions: “There is not one shred of evidence showing that benefits sanctions help people get back into work. But for those who do…Read more…
‘Death by a thousand cuts’
Unite has expressed ‘bitter disappointment’ over further bank branch closures announced by RBS Group. Unite, the largest union representing RBS staff, said the taxpayer-owned bank was…Read more…
Bus dispute settled
The five-month old pay dispute involving bus drivers in Weymouth and Bridport in Dorset has been settled. The deal was thrashed out in talks between senior management from First Group, the…Read more…