On 26 May, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) announced a programme of £11 million worth of cuts required in order for the Service to deliver a balanced budget for the 2023/24 financial year. These cuts impact communities across Scotland and include the ‘mothballing’ of ten wholetime fire appliances, the reduction of high reach appliances from 25 to 14, and the scrapping of the dedicated water rescue response covering the River Clyde. They will also see a further significant reduction in firefighter posts across Scotland. Worse yet, SFRS anticipate a further £25 million worth of savings will be needed to be found over the following three financial years up to 2026/27. SFRS have stated that these cuts are temporary, but without significant investment the FBU believe that these 200 firefighter posts and the removal of front line resources are likely to be permanent. The Fire Brigades Union is clear – these cuts will decimate the fire and rescue service in Scotland, undermining the credibility of SFRS as an effective emergency service protecting Scotland’s communities. Firefighters know that these cuts aren’t sustainable. They see the impact of underinvestment in their Service every day and the increased risk to the public as a result. That’s why the FBU has started the #CutsLeaveScars campaign to highlight to politicians and the public what the real impact of these enforced cuts will be. A DECADE OF UNDERINVESTMENT – A DECADE OF REAL TERMS CUTS Since the creation of SFRS on 1 April 2013 the fire and rescue service in Scotland has suffered tens of millions of pounds of real terms cuts. The plain facts are: • In 2012/13 the combined resource budget for the eight legacy fire and rescue services totalled £290.7 million. • The first year of SFRS saw this budget cut by £13.5 million to £277.2 million in 2013/14. • On 19 June 2023, the Minister for Victims and Community Safety confirmed that had the 2013/14 resource budget risen in line with inflation it would total £340.2 million in 2023/24 • The resource budget set for SFRS in 2023/24 is £308.6 million, a £31.6 million real terms cut over that ten year period. • However, using the 2012/13 resource budget figure of £290.7 million as a starting point the FBU calculate that an overall £56.8 million real terms cut has been inflicted upon SFRS over the last 11 years. • Indeed, using the Scottish Parliaments own SPICe calculator the SFRS 2023/24 resource budget would sit at £374.6 million – a £66 million real terms shortfall since 2012/13. The impact of sustained real terms budget cuts to SFRS over the last decade is clear. The service’s own statistics lay bare the reduction of over 1100 firefighter posts in Scotland since the creation of SFRS. The Service have been clear in their own budget forecasting of the impact of further projected cuts. Last October, in giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament Criminal Justice Committee, the SFRS Chief Fire Officer indicated that the impact of the resource based spending review could see the loss of a further 780 full time firefighter jobs and the removal of a further 30 fire appliances across Scotland by 2027. The impact of reduced firefighter numbers and restricted appliance availability have already impacted upon the viability of SFRS as an effective emergency service. From 2015/16 to 2020/21 response times to incidents increased by a full minute, from 7 to 8 minutes. Budget cuts = less firefighters = delayed response times = increased risk to public safety.

The position of a PFCC should be held by someone with integrity and who can make competent and professional decisions. The current PFCC is not that person. The PFCC is the governance of one of the most trusted and reliable workforces in the public’s time of need. The fire service, firefighters, and the public deserve better.

Add your name to this petition in support of Wirral University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Clinical Support Workers in their campaign for fair pay and recognition.

The state pension age is currently 66 years. It is due to rise to 67 from May 2026, and to 68 from May 2044. However, government ministers have been pushing for this timetable to be sped up, according to media reports. New research by Unite the Union has found that many workers feel they cannot continue working in key roles until state pension age. Over 10,000 Unite members across four key sectors took part in the survey: 86 per cent of health workers do not believe they can mentally continue to undertake their current roles beyond the age of 66, while 83 per cent of them could not physically continue in their roles beyond the same age. 75 per cent of construction workers stated they can’t work physically beyond 66, while 64 per cent said the mental demands of the job would become too much by 66 at the latest. 76 per cent of road haulage and warehouse workers said that they will not be able to physically work beyond 66, while 70 per cent said the mental demand of the job will become too great by that age. 67 per cent of bus and tram workers said the mental demands would become too great by 66, while the job would become too physically demanding by then for 57 per cent of them. These findings show that tens of thousands of workers will be forced out of employment due to the physical and mental demands of their work but will be too young to receive the state pension. *** Join Unite in the fight for dignity in retirement. Join here: https://join.unitetheunion.org/ *** *** Join the National Pensioners Convention, the campaigning organisation for older people in the UK here: https://www.npcuk.org/join-the-npc *** *** Join the Scottish Pensioners Forum here: https://scottishpensioners.org.uk/ ***

It's vital to maintain the Health, Safety and Welfare of firefighters, not reduce opportunity for progression and also to ensure that the service has competence and confidence at vital roles across all management levels from Crew - Brigade Management.

Mayor Marvin Rees' decision to delay all funding decisions for Arts Organisations funded by Bristol City Council will have hugely damaging consequences for one of the most important industries in the city's economy, and is totally at odds with his One City Approach for Culture launched in June this year. When the Mayor launched his One City Plan 2023 in June, he wrote "Bristol’s culture is internationally recognised for its creativity, vibrancy, diversity, history and innovation across many mediums such as art, theatre, dance, music, TV and film and architecture." But Bristol's reputation and success as a film and TV hub exists in the same ecosystem as the rest of the creative sector in the city and cannot be separated from its live performance industry which is now at risk from this delay in funding decisions. Instead of being told about funding decisions in October 2022, as planned, Arts Organisations and major cultural events will now have to wait until March 2024 to find out how much money they’ll receive – or if they’ll receive any money at all. This is only a month before the grant period starts and will mean organisations can’t plan for the future – leading to loss of work, income and closures in the interim. The Mayor’s claim that he will give the final decision to an ‘independent panel’ about which the he has given no information on the membership or what new process will need to be followed to apply. Mayor Rees has offered no trade union consultation to the relevant culture unions, whilst simultaneously the Mayor’s office have sidelined the Culture Board, a body the Mayor created, which is the only consultative culture body that exists in the city. These less then transparent delays and possible cuts will disproportionately impact working class creative workers, and those from minority and oppressed groups. It will have social and cultural implications for all the large Arts organisations in the city and smaller one off artistic projects that work in local communities, from parent and baby groups and schools, to festivals and live events. Leaving access to the arts only to those who can afford it. Bristol is a fair, healthy and sustainable city. A city of hope and aspiration, where everyone can share in its success. All of this enabled by Culture, which Mayor Rees is placing at risk with his intervention and reckless decision to delay. We demand that Mayor Marvin Rees restore our arts funding. No delays, no cuts, and no more decision-making from non-transparent 'independent' panels. Image credit: crabchick from Bristol, England; Bristol City Hall at night https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bristol_Council_House_at_night_(2693195473).jpg

The redundancies on the table at LSBU cut across areas crucial to the University's operations and the support offered to students, including Libraries, IT, Student Operations, Estates and Facilities, Finance, Alumni and Development, and Research, Enterprise and Innovation. Many areas have already experienced repeated rounds of cuts and restructures over the past several years and continuing to cut staff and outsource staff to private contractors is both wrong and ineffective. LSBU wants to make staff redundant from mid-June and outsource Customer Care Officers and the Estates Service Desk team by August. Instead of rushing through changes that will lead to unemployment, outsourcing and financial and mental health crises for staff, LSBU's Executive and the Board of Governors should withdraw the current proposals and talk to UNISON and LSBU's other trade unions without this hanging over people's heads. Many staff at risk of redundancy have years, if not decades of expertise, and losing this will only be negative for student's education and experience of LSBU. Support staff make so much of what LSBU does possible. A tiny list, taken from across the University, includes: Keeping the IT systems running and ensuring the virtual learning and working environment functions every day; uploading and making available course marks; organising exams and handling extenuating circumstances claims; supporting students with attendance; giving students crucial advice about all aspects of their life at LSBU; finding library books; accessing e-books; providing guidance and training on how to use a huge variety of computer programs and applications; teaching students how to reference for essays and assignments; handling payments and invoices and staff payslips; making student placements possible; building a relationship with alumni and fundraising with alumni to help support current students; building relationships between businesses and LSBU and supporting research and innovation at the University. Making sure that staff are not made compulsorily redundant and not outsourced is about protecting LSBU, defending the education and attainment of students, and making sure that the staff, who do so much for colleagues and students, have secure employment and can get on with their jobs rather than worrying about their futures. Please add your name to the petition in support of UNISON's campaign against job cuts and outsourcing at LSBU! * This petition is posted on behalf of London South Bank University UNISON Branch

Currently: local authorities have no control over commercial bus services.This means bus companies do what they like, dictating prices, routes, and timetables. This means: routes have been cut, unreliable services, skyrocketing fares, and poor working conditions for drivers. Public control can deliver the network you deserve that is run: where you need it — meaning profits from busy routes can be used to subsidize less busy but needed services. when you need it — meaning new minimum standards on reliability and sensible timetables, with penalities for letting passengers down. how you need it — meaning a single set of affordable, integrated tickets that work on all buses and vehicles that are accessible for all. What CAN be done: Dan Norris, the West of England Combined Authority mayor and council leaders from Bristol, South Gloucestershire and B&NES have the power to bring your buses into public control. Politicians are there to represent YOU! Let them know you think buses should be in public control. What WILL be done We will deliver this petition to WECA and council leaders to demonstrate that communities across the West of England want our leaders to use their power to regulate and bring buses into public control. Who is Behind This? Environmental groups, charities, and trade unions from across the West of England are backing the call for public control of buses. All three councils have made statements in support of public control being investigated JOIN US! Find out more about how to get involved here: https://westact.org/reclaim-our-buses

This was a cynical move, released on a bank holiday weekend to hide the obvious uncosted price hike, hits the lowest paid trust employees the hardest. Support your hard working NHS staff! Don't give with one hand and take back with the other!

Lets help those that use the bus as a lifeline, lets keep on track with climate change , join this campaign and lets get this sorted !

The government recently indicated it may raise the state pension age for millions of workers aged 44 to 52. Fearing massive defeat in the next general election, the government announced on Thursday 30 March it will delay this decision until the next Parliament. We must still drive home our message to Parliament: workers will not be made to pay for decades of politicians' bad choices. Older people deserve dignity, respect and financial security, now and in the future. The profits of the UK's largest companies are now 89 per cent higher than before the pandemic, but workers are not seeing our fair share. Our life expectancy is no longer rising, our NHS has been cut to the bone, our work doesn't pay, and our workplace pensions have been raided. We will not allow our State Pension to be raided too. Workers create the wealth in this society, and we demand a share of that wealth in our old age. 68 is too late! *** Join Unite in the fight for dignity in retirement. Join here: https://join.unitetheunion.org/ *** *** Join the National Pensioners Convention, the campaigning organisation for older people in the UK here: https://www.npcuk.org/join-the-npc *** *** Join the Scottish Pensioners Forum here: https://scottishpensioners.org.uk/ ***

Our members in Welsh Ambulance overwhelmingly voted to reject the latest pay offer by 92% and deserve a pay offer to match their skills, care, experience, knowledge and responsibility. Our members have had a decade of real terms pay cuts and deserve a proper pay offer