Strathclyde is by far the most populous part of Scotland – home to 2.2 million people, with the largest number of bus users. Our expensive, unreliable and uncoordinated public transport network is holding us back – it’s a disaster for our economy, society and our environment. Transport is by far the biggest contributor to carbon emissions: mostly from private cars. The Scottish Government has set the target of reducing car miles by 20% by 2030.[5] Glasgow City Council also aims to have net-zero emissions by this date.[6] These pressing climate targets will be impossible to meet without a total transformation of our public transport network so that – no matter where you live in our region – you can get around easily without needing to own a car.[7] As Greater Manchester has clearly shown, this transformation can only be delivered by taking our buses back into public control. Better Buses for Strathclyde is supported by: https://betterbuses.bringbackbritishrail.org/strathclyde/petitionsupporters.png Govan Community Council Maryhill & Summerston Community Council Clydebank Trades Council Irvine Trades Council If you’re part of an organisation, group or Community Council that would like to support the campaign, please get in touch using the ‘Contact Campaign Creator’ link at the top of this petition. References: [1] March 2023, Scottish Transport Statistics, Transport Scotland https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/scottish-transport-statistics-2022/chapter-02-bus-and-coach-travel [2] The Bee Network, Transport for Greater Manchester https://tfgm.com/the-bee-network [3] About Us, Lothian Buses https://www.lothianbuses.com/about-us [4] June 2023, Strathclyde Regional Bus Strategy & Delivery Plan – Award of Contract, SPT https://www.spt.co.uk/media/gr3hd3gj/sp090623_agenda7.pdf [5] January 2022, 20% reduction in car km by 2030, Transport Scotland https://www.transport.gov.scot/our-approach/environment/20-reduction-in-car-km-by-2030 [6] June 2021, Glasgow’s Climate Plan passed unanimously at committee, Glasgow City Council https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=27218 [7] March 2021, Every Village, Every Hour, CPRE: The Countryside Charity https://www.cpre.org.uk/resources/every-village-every-hour-2021-buses-report-full-report

Until 1986, South Yorkshire was renowned for its cheap and reliable bus services. The result was simple: families didn't need a car. Since deregulation fares have risen, services have been cut, and reliability declined. The result: fewer job opportunities, restricted access to education and training, thousands of missed hospital appointments and reduced opportunities for leisure pursuits especially in the evenings and on Sundays. People with limited mobility are less likely to venture out. Young people are meeting virtually instead of in person and shrinking their horizons. The viability of businesses and communities is threatened. 30% of our population have no access to a private vehicle. If we are serious about levelling up, we must provide a reliable bus service. The climate emergency requires a major shift to public transport. Things must not continue on this downward spiral. Other city regions have received millions of pounds to protect and improve bus services. South Yorkshire received nothing. Westminster leaders have the money and power to make this happen. Please sign up to demand fair funding now.

Hundreds of nursing support staff at Mid Cheshire hospitals have been working above their pay grade for years. We are calling on their trust to pay them the wage they deserve and to award back-pay for years of underpayment.

Please show your support by signing this petition and let's send a clear message to Sunderland City Council that they should put right their discriminatory pay practices.

Government contractor ISS at 3 departments - Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, Department for Business & Trade and Department for Science, Innovation & Technology - is pocketing the pay of hardworking members of PCS Union working in cleaning, security and other vital Government services. ISS made a profit last year of £73m and ten board members received almost £1m between them. For our members - the workers that created their profits - they are imposing a real terms pay cut. Our Ministers are happy to let ISS rip us off, profiteer, and leave our members in hardship. But our members won’t accept that and are striking for their fair share. Sign our petition to the Government Property Agency calling of them to intervene and get their contractor to pay a proper wage!

Local government workers are providing vital public services that our communities rely on every single day. They are the key workers who kept the country going throughout the pandemic. Their value to our communities should be recognised by a pay offer that allows them to feed and clothe their families without having to resort to foodbanks or handouts. It is unacceptable council workers are bearing the brunt of the cuts to local government budgets!

Northern Rail has sub-contracted work on the gatelines of some of its stations to a private outsourcing company called Carlisle. This means that two people doing similar work can have totally different pay and conditions. Gateline workers who are employed by Carlise, get less pay, no company sick pay, no membership fo the Railways Pension Scheme, no company leisure travel facilities and are employed using highly exploitative zero hours or annualised hours contracts that leave them in a state of perpetual anxiety, fearing that they will lose precious hours of work. In a recent survey, 58% of Carlisle gateline staff reported that they were struggling to make ends meet and every day they face a rising level of violence and abuse at work.

The University announced on Monday 14 August plans to make £3 million cuts to the staffing budget which could lead to up to 40 job losses in the University’s Executive Office (EO). Cuts of this scale will have a devastating impact on those individuals losing their jobs and their families, but also on the future of the University and the Highlands and Islands’ economy. Many of the staff employed by EO are in roles which deliver critical functions like student support, student experience, finance, and ensuring academic quality. Jobs are also threatened in the University’s academic and research functions in areas such as nursing, optometry, history, biomedical sciences, and rural health and wellbeing. Please join us in fighting back against these cuts which will have a devastating impact on education across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, and on the student experience of the students studying here.

Workers from Vista Therm, in Lurgan Northern Ireland, are on weeks-long all-out strike action for fair pay, union recognition and dignity at work. Amongst a web of unlimited companies in the British Virgin Islands and Isle of Man these companies no longer disclose their financial accounting. However trade sources estimate the parent company to be worth around £200m. The last time Vista Therm in Lurgan published its accounts was in 2021 and the company turnover then was up 24.6% with profits of £6m. This is a hugely successful business and without its skilled workforce to deliver the finished products it simply wouldn’t be the success that it is today. These workers didn’t choose to go on strike lightly, they were forced to take this action because the company refused to listen to them and engage in any talks or discussion.

Hundreds of nursing support staff at Warrington and Halton hospitals have been working above their pay grade for years. We are calling on their trust to pay them the wage they deserve and to award back-pay for years of underpayment.

The proposal would see the Zoom Beyond travel pass removed on the 1st November 2023. In just three months, they will take away the ability to afford mobility for thousands of young people in South Yorkshire. Almost 35000 people aged 18-21 use a Zoom Beyond pass in our region. In addition, the Board is planning to raise the concessionary fare from 80p per single journey to £1 per single journey in effect from the start of November. This would reduce the ability for so many children across the region to socialise, go to extracurricular clubs, and would most likely lead to a greater proportion of school students being driven to school in car - increasing congestion, air pollution and further contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. SYMCA is currently looking into a Franchised Bus model - taking power away from the executives of profit-driven private companies like Stagecoach and First and placing more of said power in the hands of the directly elected Mayor. The Trams in Sheffield are already being taken into Public Control (I.e., run directly by SYMCA, and therefore more easily scrutinised) this Autumn, and it is looking like the buses will eventually follow. Due to this, the Combined Authority should instead aim to inherit a bus service with concessionary fares it can be proud of! The budget meeting mentions that if the 80p fare had risen with cumulative inflation from its introduction in 2016, it would be £1.20. That is an exciting thing, though! Even if it draws less profit and costs more as a subsidy, it means that South Yorkshire has one of the lowest fares for those up to the age of 18 in the country, and the lowest fare in the country currently for those up to the age of 21! The neglect of public services in the North of England by the government is a parasite to our progress. Ignorance of the needs of those across South Yorkshire mustn't continue. We deserve a flourishing, integrated transport system - supporting everyone from Thorne to Stocksbridge; one that lends a hand to all young people wanting to study, work, go out, or get about for any reason. We should take pride in the fact we are giving our young people the greatest possible chance to succeed, and we must fight to keep it that way.

Childcare and early years education workers have an immense responsibility. They look after and educate the youngest members of our society and help give children the best start in life. But years of Government underfunding have made it harder and harder for childcare workers to stay in the sector, and manage financially. Thousands of childcare workers live wage-packet to wage-packet, struggling to get by. Like many of us in this cost of living crisis, they are now being pushed to the brink by eye-watering bills and soaring prices. Low wages hurt not just childcare workers, but everyone who relies on their help to raise a family. Parents from all sectors need high quality childcare to get by. It takes a village to raise a child. Let’s raise the standards for childcare and early years education workers so they get the pay and respect they deserve. Childcare and early years education workers are just some of many workers who are struggling to get by on low wages. We support the TUC's campaign calling for £15 an hour for all workers: https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/raise-the-minimum-wage-to-ps15-an-hour