Currently, hundreds of hospital cleaners, caterers and security guards working at Aintree University Hospital, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool Women’s Hospital and Broadgreen Hospital are employed by private companies. We are employed by private contractors Compass Medirest, ISS and OCS and as a result, we are at a disadvantage compared with NHS employees. Like all of our health service colleagues, we’ve put ourselves at increased risk over the last few months keeping patients safe. We don’t want a medal, we just want to be treated equally with our colleagues who are employed by NHS. We deserve proper pay and working conditions so that we can deliver a high quality service for Liverpool patients. UNISON Liverpool Hospitals Health branch secretary Su Edwards said: “Our members do some of the most vital jobs within our health service. They cook patients’ food, keep the hospital clean and protect patients and staff. “Yet currently, these health service heroes are being treated like second class citizens. There is only one way that companies such as Compass, ISS and OCS can make a profit within the NHS and that’s by cost-cutting. This means that hospital staff employed by private contractors receive lower pay and worse working conditions than colleagues employed directly by the NHS. It is morally wrong. “But it’s not just hospital staff who are getting a raw deal. Compass, ISS and OCS prioritise profit over people- they bid for NHS contracts, then they cut costs and patients pay the price. If we brought these services in-house, we could deliver a higher quality service, with more staff on shift, better hospital food and safer hospitals.”

Every summer, temperatures are rising and working in prolonged heat and sun can be dangerous. It can cause a number of health concerns, from dehydration and dizziness to the most serious of illnesses. The Health and Safety Executive say 4,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year as a result of outdoor working. Trade unions want to see the law changed, so that employers and workers know when action must be taken to keep workers cooler and safer. We want to see guidance which asks employers to begin taking steps to reduce temperatures when they get above 24°C and workers feel uncomfortable. This is the World Heath Organisation's recommended maximum temperature for working in comfort. While official guidance exists for a *minimum* working temperature of 16°C, there is no law to guide bosses on what a maximum should be. It's time to protect working people feeling the heat!

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.

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/

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 are more important than the non essential work that they are being asked to carry out. A persons life is more important than a pothole.

The rapid spread of the COVID-19 represents a significant threat to the Cardiff University community. We are asking that Cardiff University management to guarantee full pay to PGR tutors who cannot work due to illness or self quarantining in the coming weeks and months. This will prevent PGR teachers from risking their health, and the health of other staff and students, and ensure the financial security of PGRs during this time. Join the UCU to demand universal paid sick leave for Cardiff University PGR teachers. https://www.ucu.org.uk/join

We believe the downgrading will have a detrimental effect on the local community and our members.

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.

Our NHS is not for sale. Not now, not ever. NHS leaders warned weeks ago that hospitals and patients will pay billions more for drugs in a post-Brexit US-UK deal. Now we have it in black and white. Leaked government documents reveal that Trump and his big pharma cronies want to charge our NHS a lot more for vital drugs. And the US wants "total market access" to public services as a condition for opening new trade talks. That’s code for carving them up and selling them off to the highest bidder. It's never been more important to stand up for our NHS and demand that any future trade deals include cast iron guarantees for public services.

Belinda Phipps is CEO of We Are With You- she earns around £140,000 per year. Meanwhile, ex-NHS staff working for We Are With You in Wigan and Leigh stand to lose £150,000 during the course of the NHS Agenda for Change three year pay deal (April 2018- April 2021). We will lose an average of £7,870 each during the course of Wigan Council's contract with We Are With You, with some of us losing out on as much as £10,974. This is simply wrong and across five years, will suck £230,000 out of the local economy whilst We Are With You directs funding towards costly rebrands and its London headquarters. We work hard for We Are With You in Wigan and Leigh to ensure that local people recover from addiction, regaining health, self esteem and becoming fully functioning members of our society. We work in this field because we care and because it's rewarding to support recovery, but we deserve to make a decent living. When we transferred over to We Are With You (formerly known as Addaction) from the NHS, we were promised the NHS rate for the job, but We Are With You have gone back on their word. "Supporting people to overcome drug and alcohol addiction is an incredibly tough job and makes a difference for every single one of us in Wigan. "We Are With You’s employees deserve the pay settlement they were promised when they moved from the NHS to We Are With You". Lisa Nandy, Wigan MP We deserve a decent wage for doing what is an important job for our communities. Please sign the petition to support us. #WeAreNotWithYou #KeepYourPayPromise #BelindaFibs #WeWontPayYou

The proposed changes to rosters will have a detrimental effect on the work life balance of employees. The new rosters will potentially impact on increased childcare costs, travel costs, laundry and food costs.