No worker should be expected to tolerate sexual abuse, harassment or bullying of any kind at work. But McDonald’s has been hit by a wave of allegations that hundreds of workers are still facing sexual abuse and harassment, a year after its CEO promised action to protect workers.  Across the UK, 89% of McDonald’s workers are on zero-hours contracts. Zero-hours contracts create a huge imbalance of power in the workplace that leaves workers vulnerable to predatory bosses.  The shocking claims revealed in a new BBC investigation include:  • A 17-year-old being asked for sex in return for more shifts at work by her manager, who was in his 30s.  • That managers would “touch up” other members of staff and send sexually explicit messages to 16-18 year old employees.  • That managers were racist, homophobic and bullied an employee due to their disability.  • That a manager performed a Nazi salute to a Jewish employee.  No-one should ever find themselves in a position like this, having to put up with sexual harassment, racism, homophobia or bullying.  The BBC’s investigation has exposed how sexual harassment and insecure work can go hand in hand.  Zero-hours contracts create a huge imbalance of power in the workplace that leaves workers dependent on their managers for shifts on a week-by-week basis, and vulnerable to predatory bosses. If staff say no to their manager, they face losing future work.  McDonald’s claims that workers are free to move onto guaranteed hours contracts if they want to. But the BBC spoke to 50 workers across the country who say they were not given the choice to switch to minimum guaranteed hours.  McDonald’s is one of the largest employers in the UK. It should be setting the standard on workforce conditions – not leading a race to the bottom. It’s clear that use of zero-hours contracts is enabling abuse of fast-food workers. It’s time for McDonald’s to make a guaranteed hours contract the default for all workers.   Photo: Theasis/Getty Images

As care sector workers employed by HC-One, we know that when our colleagues don’t have paid sick days, they stay sick longer, we are more likely to get sick and we make our residents sick. No Sick Pay means unhealthy workplaces. As the UK's biggest care home group, HC-One should be taking a lead on this vital issue. Support our campaign by signing our virtual Sick Note now. We’re Sick Of Statutory Sick Pay at HC-One!

Sheffield Hallam University has deferred workers' pay increase for 11 months and will NOT backdate pay. This decision will cost many University workers over £1,000. In effect, the University Executive Board (UEB) is pinching from the pockets of the workers to pay for their financial mismanagement. We call this wage theft. Sign our petition to support workers at Sheffield Hallam University and send a clear message to the University Executive Board to pay workers what they are owed and to include trade union voices in setting the University’s budgets. Trade Unions have suggested alternatives to the financial difficulties faced by the University, but these have been dismissed by UEB, who are more determined to push on with vanity projects like their proposed “London Campus”, which is estimated to cost millions. Earlier this year, we submitted statements of “no confidence” in UEB over their mishandling of University finances and their ramshackle restructure of the service. Now all the trade unions are demanding that the University implement and backdate the national pay award and sit down with them to agree a budget in the long-term interests of the workers, the University and the Sheffield community.  Sign our petition if you agree with us and show solidarity with workers at Sheffield Hallam. While the Vice Chancellor sits on circa £250,000+ per annum, workers are having their pockets pinched. GMB, UCU and UNISON have formally registered their dispute with the University. Workers should not be asked to pay the price for senior managers' financial mismanagement. Agree with us? Sign our petition.

These cuts will go right through the heart of Corringham & Stanford Le Hope. The schools have been an integral part of these towns for years. These cuts will damage the education children in Thurrock will be able to receive by overloading teachers and cutting the job roles that provide the pastoral support that teenagers especially need! Not to mention the inadequate provision for children with SEND. We are saying no to the cuts, and that our children deserve better! Support our staff by signing this petition and joining us at this time of the Gable Hall & Hassenbrook crisis! SOS! If you are a support staff member in Thurrock, join GMB union today at www.GMB.org.uk/join-GMB

The creative industries generate £28.3bn in turnover and £13.5bn in Gross Value Added, making up nearly 6% of the UK economy [1]. Their success relies on a diverse workforce, which can only be achieved with a social security system which supports  new starters and low earners to build their careers. The MIF reduces diversity and so directly affects who we see on our stages and screens and whose stories are told.  Not Here to Help, a report for Equity by Dr Heidi Ashton, Centre for Culture and Media Policy Studies, The University of Warwick, found that the MIF drives self-employed creatives away from creative work because they cannot afford to stay in it [2], with nearly half of respondents subjected to the MIF saying they had or were considering leaving the industry.    The MIF is a particular barrier to disabled people.In our casework we have seen that those moving to UC from tax credits tend to claim UC for ill-health rather than be subject to the MIF. This is a highly regressive impact of the MIF. Pushing people away from high quality work is at odds with all sustainable employment evidence and the government’s plan to “Get Britain Working”.    Sign this petition to call on the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to abolish the minimum income floor in Universal Credit.    Petition created by David John, Honorary Treasurer and Audio Artists Councillor at Equity. [1] https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/research-and-data/contribution-art-and-culture-sector-uk-economy. [2] https://www.equity.org.uk/campaigns-policy/policy-work/universal-credit-report. 

Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) are abusive legal threats and lawsuits  filed to silence critical speech. They are used by oligarchs, public officials, sexual abusers, warlords and opaque business leaders, to target journalists, whistleblowers, campaigners, academics, social media users and community groups. Anyone who speaks out is at risk.  Defending threats and court actions in the UK can be enormously expensive, and SLAPP claimants often try to delay every step to make it as costly as possible. The more costly and time-intensive, the more likely the target will step back from what they are doing, knowing they do not have the money or time needed to defend themselves. As a result, the SLAPP cases we hear about are only the tip of the iceberg. As many never make it to court, we may never know the true scale of the problem as too many people have been threatened into silence, fearful of saying anything in case it could attract the ire of the SLAPP claimant.  If we allow SLAPPs to continue, too much information will be removed from the public realm. Without this information, we cannot scrutinise the decisions made by the powerful, examine allegations of wrongdoing or illuminate the influence of opaque actors in our democracy.  This is happening far too often:  • Nina Cresswell was sued and forced to defend herself in court after naming her attacker to warn others • Eliot Higgins was sued for a series of tweets including details a Russian warlord knew to be true • Paul Radu, a Romanian journalist was sued by an Azerbaijani MP. Neither were based in the UK, but still the British courts welcomed this SLAPP • Dan Neidle was threatened by the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, whose lawyers tried to prevent him from publishing the legal letters • Four Russian oligarchs and a state owned oil company threatened legal action against Catherine Belton for a book documenting Putin’s rise to power  How can we stamp out SLAPPs? SLAPPs cannot be stamped out by reforming individual laws. This would be futile - as soon as one law was reformed, the SLAPP claimants will simply find another to abuse. This is why we need a standalone Anti-SLAPP Law that offers universal, clear and easy to access protections against abusive legal threats. The longer we wait the more people can be threatened into silence by those with deep pockets. The Government has already signalled its support - now is the time for action.  What you can do: 1. Sign this petition  2. Share the petition with your network 3. Send this template letter to your constituency MP calling them to support the move to establish an anti-SLAPP Law and support those silenced by legal abuse

Applecart arts is a creative venue, housed by Newham Council in the old registry office, providing performance arts to the local community and jobs to Equity members. They are a cornerstone of the community yet Applecart Arts is facing closure due to cashflow issues. Equity represents many freelancers who find work at Applecart. Such a loss of freelance work is totally counterproductive to what a borough serious about culture is trying to achieve. You cannot have art without the workers who create it!

• Without ticket office staff we will no longer be able to secure the best fare for our journeys. • Unstaffed stations increase the risks of anti-social behaviour, and jeopardise the safety of women and vulnerable passengers. • Closing ticket offices early removes the support many people need, particularly those with disabilities or learning challenges.  • Ticket vending machines are confusing, especially for older passengers, and many people do not have smart phones.  • At a time of climate crisis we need more people to use the railways. Reducing ticket office opening hours will make rail travel less appealing. 

These mass terminations at TGI Friday’s have been devastating for staff who have given years of loyal service.  Restaurants were closed and workers were locked out without any notice by a company who made £190.7m in revenue last year.  Senior management at TGI Friday's including CEO Julie McEwan knew the company was in difficulty for some time, but chose not to carry out meaningful redundancy consultations in good faith.   They chose to let the company sink and let the government insolvency service pick up the tab for £millions in severance packages.  Where was the political outcry?  Staff were terminated without notice or consultation. They were owed wages, holidays, tips, notice pay and redundancy. They were given 57 minutes notice of a call many could not attend to be told their jobs were gone. They weren't even allowed to ask questions.  When P&O sacked 800 workers without any notice in very similar circumstances, there was rightfully a national outcry, from the media, from politicians and from the public. Now, even with a Labour Government, over 1,000 workers are sacked and there have been no questions in parliament, no CEO compelled to appear before a select committee to answer for their behaviour.  We want a meeting with Jonathon Reynolds (Secretary of State for Business & Trade) to discuss how this mass firing without notice can be made illegal once and for all.  Why were these restaurant workers treated like this? Because in the eyes of employers and most politicians, hospitality workers are expendable. They matter less than workers in other industries. But not as far as Unite Hospitality is concerned... Following a national organising campaign which saw hundreds of TGI workers join their union Unite Hospitality, the pressure on the company was such that they were forced to pay-out wages, tips and holiday pay within a week. Something that the company had told the workers would not haoppen a matter of days previously.  But the fight is not over.  Significant numbers of these ex-TGI Friday’s staff have been short-changed on their wages, holiday pay and tips. And despite assurances from administrators Teneo, the workers continue to be locked out of sites & can’t retrieve their belongings. The workers deserve better than this.  We're calling on TGI Friday's CEO, Julie McEwan, to pay up what is fair to workers who have lost their job, for Teneo to open-up sites to allow workers access to their belongings and a meeting with Jonathon Reynolds 

In response to an application from Equity, the Principal Planning Officer for Tower Hamlets has confirmed the position of the Local Authority, saying "any proposed development which would not retain the existing cultural venue (along with its important LGBT+ focus) would not be supported.”  The Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club has been a hub for creativity, and inclusivity for more than 20 years, and has a community history that spans 130 years. It has provided a platform for countless artists, professional performers, and community groups, particularly within the LGBT+ community. Its closure has already left a significant void in the local cultural landscape, and we fear that, without immediate intervention, this iconic space could be lost in a battle between developers and planning protections.  Tower Hamlets Council has an opportunity to not only safeguard the club’s future but also signal to residents that their cultural heritage is valued and protected. By doing so, they can ensure that this historic venue continues to thrive and live up to its reputation as a unique centre for culture and community.  We urge Tower Hamlets to act swiftly, as the longer the club remains closed, the greater the risk of it falling into disrepair and being lost forever. We hope that Tower Hamlets Council will take this opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to the arts, culture, and the diverse communities that call this borough home. 

 Music plays an important part in shaping our culture and society, and is more a part of our everyday lives than ever before. Most people listen to the radio; play CDs or vinyl; use streaming services; or attend gigs, concerts and festivals.  Music is good for pupils’ wellbeing and their mental health. Taking part in music making and listening to music are also joyful activities. Enjoyment of learning is a core principle of Curriculum for Excellence, which envisages young people being active in their learning and having opportunities to develop and demonstrate their creativity. Music is an important means of human expression, which allows children to find their identity, use their voice, and boost their self-esteem. For children from low-income families, music can be a way of helping them to overcome disadvantage.  Curriculum for Excellence has creativity and self-expression at its heart. Learning how to play an instrument boosts pupils’ confidence, mental health, organisational skills, teamwork skills, literacy and numeracy. The benefits are manifold. And yet, the value our education system places on music seems to be diminishing while our enjoyment of it and realisation of its importance increases. This paradox must be challenged.   Scottish Instrumental Music Teachers are amongst the best in the world. Their expertise, professionalism and dedication must be recognised, and we must value their contribution to educating our young people. We need your help to defend and maintain this vital service.

Unipart Rail is a key supplier to Network Rail, which is publicly funded, and it is unacceptable for suppliers in Network Rail's supply chain to take an anti-trade union approach. This move to derecognise RMT Union by Unipart Rail flies in the face of the recent positive announcements by the new Labour government on trade union recognition and workplace rights. Both RMT and Unite have recognition at this site, and Unipart have said that their existing recognition agreement with Unite will continue unaffected.