All the union news that's fit to blog...
The noise of whistles and supportive car horns sounded outside the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Headquarters in Poole yesterday (25 Aug) as striking boat builders and fitters from the Isle of Wight’s RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Centre traveled to Dorset to take their message to the charities bosses who have abandoned them. The Unite members, […]
The post RNLI “letting us sink.” appeared first on Unite Live.
Workers at the Isle of Wight’s RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Centre have taken a second day of strike in their ongoing campaign to protect jobs and skills on the island, and get a fair deal from the charity. Placards and banners on the picket line spell out the frustration of workers at the boat yard in […]
The post With solidarity, nothing is impossible appeared first on Unite Live.
Over 1,500 Arriva North London bus drivers started industrial action today (14 August) over hot weather working, as yesterday saw the hottest day of the year in the UK, a scorching 38.1C, recorded at Kew Gardens less than 20 miles from their garages. The drivers, who work at eight bus garages across North and East […]
The post “No choice” but to strike appeared first on Unite Live.
With another heatwave forecast for next week passengers across North London and Essex are facing huge disruption to bus services from later this month, as Unite drivers prepare to walk out in an ongoing dispute about unbearable working conditions. Over 1,500 drivers at eight garages at Arriva North London are taking several days of action, […]
The post Unbearable conditions appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite’s Fight Fatigue Now campaign bus visited striking estates workers at the South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust on Friday (31 July) in a show of workers solidarity with both groups joining each other on the top deck to discuss the issues and highlight their concerns to the public. Unite had been touring the […]
The post South London Solidarity appeared first on Unite Live.
Estates workers at the South London & Maudsley (SLAM) NHS Foundation Trust sites started strike action today (29 July) over equal pay. The hospital’s joiners, electricians, plumbers and painters and decorators are angry at the creation of a two-tier workforce where the workers are on different pay grades – ranging from band three to band […]
The post “Undervalued and underappreciated” appeared first on Unite Live.
“We have so many people standing together that we cannot be ignored, and we have every confidence that we will be heard and we will be making a lasting impact on our industry. “We are world leaders at our institution and we want to act as world leaders, and inspire others to stand for what’s […]
The post Scientists, dreamers… strikers! appeared first on Unite Live.
Over a thousand local government craftworkers have started strike action yesterday (17 June) in a dispute over pay and attacks on their conditions. The highly skilled workers predominantly undertake the local authority housing maintenance and repair work that keeps council tenants safe and comfortable in their homes. But, after years of pay freezes and paltry […]
The post Red Book Strike appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite members at Enniskillen-based sawmill Balcas have announced strike action starting next week, with the first of three 24-hour strikes on Thursday (June 18). The Balcas sawmill in Enniskillen is highly profitable, and the industrial action follows a vote by its low-paid workforce that overwhelmingly rejected the insulting pay offer. Balcas claims to be one […]
The post Sawmill Strike appeared first on Unite Live.
Hundreds of GKN Aerospace workers braved sweltering temperatures on a picket line in Filton yesterday (27 May) to tell bosses at the world-leading aerospace supplier to pay up. Around 900 Unite members at the Filton factory had walked out this week in a fight over fair pay after receiving a below inflation pay offer – […]
The post Aerospace action appeared first on Unite Live.
“Not a penny off the day, not a minute on the day!” was the rallying cry of workers involved with the General Strike in 1926, and Unite is commemorating the centenary of the strike and its importance to working class history with an event this May. Today’s workplaces might look very different, but those words […]
The post “Not a penny off the pay…” appeared first on Unite Live.
After weeks of determined strike action that began in mid January, WSP Textiles workers in Stroud and Dursley yesterday (5 March) voted to accept an improved pay offer from the company. The workers at the sports cloth manufacturer were on strike for the first time in their history, and the industrial action saw snooker and […]
The post Game, Set and Match appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite members from WSP Textiles made their voices heard last week at the Players Championship snooker tournament in Telford, as part of their ongoing campaign for better pay and conditions. The highly skilled workers produce world-class snooker cloth used in many elite tournaments, such as the Players Championship, around the world – yet many are […]
The post Get back round the table appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite has expressed fury following the announcement by BAE Systems of record profit figures, at a time when the military-industrial giant continues to refuse to pay its workers a fair wage, and attempts union-busting high court injunctions to prevent strikes. Financial results published yesterday (18 Feb) show BAE’s full year operating profits increased by 12 […]
The post “Little short of obscene” appeared first on Unite Live.
Tower cranes across the UK could grind to a halt this winter as crane operators take strike action over pay and conditions. The strikes by workers from Wolffkran, one of the world’s largest rental companies of tower cranes, could see construction work at the UK building sites stop on days starting this January, and continuing […]
The post Crane drivers strike appeared first on Unite Live.
Tennis ball and snooker cloth makers started industrial action today (12 January) over pay that could result in shortages at tournaments. Workers at sports cloth manufacturer WSP Textiles are on strike action for the first time in their history which will see snooker and tennis tournaments under threat due to a lack of baize and […]
The post Felt let down appeared first on Unite Live.
The UK is facing a Guinness zero drought this Christmas as workers at the company’s Belfast brewery announced eight days of strikes this December in a dispute over pay. The workers who are members of Unite, will begin strike action on Friday 5 December and walkouts will continue until the early hours of Saturday 13 […]
The post My Goodness, No Guinness! appeared first on Unite Live.
Unite members and their supporters held a rally through the streets of Birmingham in support of bin workers this morning (1 Dec). Hundreds of supporters and striking workers gathered for the rally outside the Smithfield Depot at 8.30 on the first day of strike action by agency workers employed by Job & Talent, before marching […]
The post Agency workers strike 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 bus drivers across the UK have been fighting for, and winning, decent pay rises as workers struggle to keep up with bills during the continuing cost of living crisis. The government has said that buses are vital for the country, with Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander saying they aim to “improve and maintain bus services” […]
The post Routes of solidarity appeared first on Unite Live.