On Monday morning, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority will decide the future of our bus services. We depend on our local busses to get around. But fares are far too high, and tickets options are confusing. During the month of April, whilst the pandemic reduced bus services to 15% of normal levels, local councils were forced to pay out £4.31million to private bus companies in subsidies for tickets that weren’t being used (according to WYCA public figures). What’s more, local councils do not have a real say in how or where bus routes are operated. Since 2014, privately run routes in West Yorkshire have been cut by 10 million miles! Private companies can do what they like with our buses. It’s a wild west free market. This is not right. Our council taxes should not be used to put profit before passengers. Our bus system is fundamentally broken and things need to change.

On Monday morning, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority will decide the future of our bus services. We depend on our local busses to get around. But fares are far too high, and tickets options are confusing. During the month of April, whilst the pandemic reduced bus services to 15% of normal levels, local councils were forced to pay out £4.31million to private bus companies in subsidies for tickets that weren’t being used (according to WYCA public figures). What’s more, local councils do not have a real say in how or where bus routes are operated. Since 2014, privately run routes in West Yorkshire have been cut by 10 million miles! Private companies can do what they like with our buses. It’s a wild west free market. This is not right. Our council taxes should not be used to put profit before passengers. Our bus system is fundamentally broken and things need to change.

On Monday morning, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority will decide the future of our bus services. We depend on our local busses to get around. But fares are far too high, and tickets options are confusing. During the month of April, whilst the pandemic reduced bus services to 15% of normal levels, local councils were forced to pay out £4.31million to private bus companies in subsidies for tickets that weren’t being used (according to WYCA public figures). What’s more, local councils do not have a real say in how or where bus routes are operated. Since 2014, privately run routes in West Yorkshire have been cut by 10 million miles! Private companies can do what they like with our buses. It’s a wild west free market. This is not right. Our council taxes should not be used to put profit before passengers. Our bus system is fundamentally broken and things need to change.

On Monday morning, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority will decide the future of our bus services. We depend on our local busses to get around. But fares are far too high, and tickets options are confusing. During the month of April, whilst the pandemic reduced bus services to 15% of normal levels, local councils were forced to pay out £4.31million to private bus companies in subsidies for tickets that weren’t being used (according to WYCA public figures). What’s more, local councils do not have a real say in how or where bus routes are operated. Since 2014, privately run routes in West Yorkshire have been cut by 10 million miles! Private companies can do what they like with our buses. It’s a wild west free market. This is not right. Our council taxes should not be used to put profit before passengers. Our bus system is fundamentally broken and things need to change.

It shouldn’t be too much to ask that hospital workers get the agreed NHS rates of pay. But here on site at Tameside General Hospital, there is a hidden workforce earning well below Agenda for Change rates of pay and on lower terms and conditions than other Trust staff. As Engie security guards we put ourselves in danger every day and work tirelessly to keep staff, patients and the public safe. During the pandemic, we have been on the front-line of the fight to keep our communities safe, whilst putting ourselves at significant personal risk. ONS figures show that male security guards have the highest risk of dying as a result of COVID-19 compared with other demographics. In spite of the vital job we do protecting patients and staff, we earn well below the NHS rates. Some of us are on the minimum wage. This is plainly unfair! We have been seeking to resolve this for some time, but to no avail. In February, Engie told us they would not agree to pay us NHS rates. In the absence of progress, we held a UNISON ballot of Engie security staff at Tameside General Hospital and voted unanimously to take strike action to fight for fair pay for all.  In May, Engie have agreed to pay the NHS rates from October 2020. This is a step in the right direction but we lodged our pay claim in December 2019- it's wrong that we should have to wait almost a year for the pay we are rightfully owed. What's more, Engie have only agreed to pay the correct rates if we agree to changes to our shift patterns which may result in pay cuts.  Given the current context, we have done everything we can to avoid taking industrial action. We have given Engie over six months to resolve this dispute. Given the lack of resolution and the potentially detrimental proposed changes to shift patterns, we have no other option- this really is an action of last resort. As a result, we served notice for a two day strike beginning at 7am on Monday 13 July. We hope that Engie see sense and get back around the negotiating table before 13 July. Tameside Hospital staff- please sign to support and consider leaving a comment.

Racism is systemic across our society. And it runs through the global fast food corporations making millions in profit by paying us poverty wages. Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) workers are disproportionately represented in the fast food workforce. In our industry people accept job offers quickly because we need security, only to find ourselves in low paid employment, being told we're replaceable. This is fertile ground for abuse and racism which further impacts workers and our families. Our fast food companies say that they believe in equality, that they are on the side of black people. But they also say we don't deserve a living wage. That we don't deserve stable hours, we don't deserve to be treated with respect and we don't deserve a union. A union is workers coming together to use our strength in numbers to change things we can't change alone - that is the only way we will stamp out racism across our society. We demand: 1) The right to refuse to serve rude customers, with a ban for racially abusive customers, and enforcement of zero tolerance policies by managers, including training for all managers in conflict management and how to recognise racism in the workplace. 2) £15 per hour, stable hours and a union - to lift us out of in-work poverty and give us a platform to have our voices heard. 3) The immediate release of the statistics of BAME workers in different roles across these businesses, including pay discrepancies: McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, Taco Bell. Police killing black people is violence. Big rich fast food companies forcing poverty pay on us is violence too. Black Lives Matter. And black quality of life matters. That’s why we need to stand together to end racial and economic injustice. We need our entire communities, everyone who agrees with us, to show us solidarity. Help us send a message to our CEOs by signing this petition now.

Journalists – whether they are staff or freelance – need to be valued and their livelihoods protected. Targeted measures aimed at supporting quality journalism and bolstering independent, diverse, ethically-produced content are urgently needed. Covid-19 has demonstrated just how important credible, trusted news and information is, and NUJ members will play a vital role in reflecting and shaping the recovery yet to come. But this is not and cannot be about the preservation of the status quo. Journalists are not seeking handouts or compensation for the industry – we are looking for investment in our future to transform the news industry, make it fit for our collective purpose and truly serve the public good. Pledge your support today for the NUJ's recovery plan to create a news industry reimagined. Download the full plan from the NUJ website - https://www.nuj.org.uk/documents/from-health-crisis-to-good-news/

Unite Hackney cab and taxi drivers are ready to do whatever it takes to help keep the country moving during the coronavirus crisis, but we are facing financial ruin without the same level of government support. The Prime Minister and his chancellor said that they would do ‘whatever it takes’. For taxi drivers it takes: • Wage support straight away. No delay, until June. • No means testing of Universal Credit or other benefits. • Suspending or reducing all taxi related running costs, including licence plate fees, monthly radio fees, rental fees and insurance payments for taxis not on the road. • Backing loan repayment holidays for private hire vehicles and moratoriums on marking down drivers’ credit files. • Emergency interim payments to keep the taxi on the road. • Reviewing the licensing regime and stop all payments for licences, with a three month temporary extension for those expected to renew in the next 12 months. We’re ready to help. With these financial support measures, Unite taxi and private hire driver members stand ready to support our emergency services. We’re fully licenced and DBS checked. Clean, safe and wheelchair accessible. Equipped with a glass partition separating driver from passenger. Support us and we can: • Transport patients to and from non-emergency appointments. • Deliver shopping for the elderly or transport them to and from supermarkets • Transport key workers to work and deliver medical supplies. Unite Hackney taxi and private hire drivers are ready to talk.

This is important at a time when university staff have rallied and gone beyond their contractual duties and normal working hours to ensure that all essential work including teaching has continued whilst the University has taken measures to address the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several universities in the UK (including the University of St. Andrews, King’s College London, and Birkbeck) have already announced an amnesty on pay deductions in recognition of the exceptional demands on their staff. We ask that the University of Kent follow these examples by granting an amnesty on strike pay deductions given that exceptional demands on their staff are likely to be ongoing for some time and to ensure staff morale and goodwill at this time.

Workers affected by the coronavirus outbreak could have to go into quarantine or self-isolation to prevent the further spread of the virus. Right now millions of UK workers don’t earn enough to get this protection. And workers with existing sick pay schemes should be paid at the full rate offered by the employer while in isolation, and not be considered as on annual or unpaid leave. No one should worry about falling into debt or struggling to pay their bills when they’re ill or have to self-isolate. If people aren't compensated for the time spent at home, the risk people go to work and spread the illness increases. The government must ensure everyone gets decent sick pay, however much they earn.

I'm Peter Moorhead, I have worked for social care provider AFG for over 20 years. In 2019, AFG care workers took strike action against our employer because we were not being paid the minimum wage for so-called "sleep in" shifts. As UNISON's convenor (lead representative) for AFG, I was involved in supporting our members in their fight for fair pay. AFG did not react positively to the strike action. Recently, I have been informed by AFG that they are going to make me redundant and scrap any provision for a UNISON convenor at the care provider. We feel that AFG have unfairly selected the UNISON Convenor position for redundancy and that in reality this is about AFG responding to last year's industrial dispute by trying to shut down any worker representation at the organisation. AFG did not enter into meaningful consultation and their decision potentially amounts to trade union victimisation. This is bigger than my job though. With over 750 UNISON members working for AFG across the North West, the removal of the position will severely impact on the industrial relation with AFG and also hamper the day to day needs of UNISON members. Please sign this petition calling on AFG to do the decent thing and reverse their decision to make me redundant. Thank you for your support, Peter Moorhead (UNISON Convenor- AFG)

West Yorkshire's bus services are broken. But they could be world class. The new Mayor of West Yorkshire will have the powers to fix our buses by bringing them back into public control. But we won't win this without a fight! Right now, bus companies do what they like and it's a wild west free market. And they're desperate to cling onto that power. Private companies control West Yorkshire’s bus network. They dictate prices, routes and timetables. The result has been catastrophic - passenger numbers have plummeted, prices have risen and services have shrunk. The new Mayor of West Yorkshire, and your West Yorkshire Council Leaders, have the power to regulate our buses. Regulation would mean affordable fares, and more evening and weekend services, all with a smart ticket where daily spending is capped. We need them to hear our message loud and clear, so there is no other choice the day after the election. (Image credit: Michael Taylor)