Labour-controlled Ealing council is ‘actively helping’ outsourced service provider Serco ‘hound’ a senior Unite the Union rep on strike over union-busting from his civil enforcement job. A council officer has written to Serco requesting that Patrice, Unite rep, who has performed his job for two decades, be removed from duties for bringing the council into ‘disrepute’. The officer justified the decision because the Unite rep stated on social media that Ealing council would lose revenue from Parking Charge Notices during ongoing strikes by more than 40 Serco civil enforcement officers. Despite the statement being factually accurate and containing no mention of parking policy motivations, the council is wrongly claiming that the union rep ‘conveys the council as a purely revenue generating authority’. LEARN MORE: https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2021/april/serco-civil-enforcement-strikes-set-to-bring-ealing-election-day-parking-chaos/ #IStandWithPatrice

Our key workers risk their lives going to work everyday. The nurses and care workers, the doctors and bus drivers, the supermarket workers and teachers, they put on personal protective equipment and use sanitiser if there is any but for many months there was none and many became ill some died and some are still suffering from long covid. Most are are paid a pittance for their vital work. Many are using food banks and we clapped them and nearly everyone thought the government should give the nurses the 12.5% pay rise they were asking for, all the other public sector workers had their pay frozen. Philip Davies the MP for Shipley voted for giving nurse a 1% payrise. His own pay is £81,932 and he voted himself a pay rise of 3.1% last year. How many MP’s have died from Corona virus?

UCLan has stated its intention to move from a Defined Benefit Pension Scheme (LGPS) to a Defined Contribution (DC) Pension Scheme for new starters in Professional Services, there are no proposals to change the pension arrangements for our academic colleagues. We believe this is wrong because: • The LGPS rules require UCLan to offer LGPS membership to their employees, UCLan intend to get around this rule by employing new starters in a separate company. • The change will lead to a two-tier workforce in pensions, with new starters in Professional Services being offered inferior and less cost-effective pensions. • The contribution rates will be lower than those for LGPS and TPS (the main scheme for our academic colleagues). • DC schemes pay out less than DB schemes such as LGPS and TPS meaning staff doing exactly the same job will come out with much lower pensions in the future. • The change will affect younger, lower-paid and women members of staff disproportionately. • Access to the pension scheme is part of the remuneration package offering an inferior pension scheme to new starters with lower employer contribution rates is potentially discriminatory yet the university has not conducted an equality impact assessment. • In the short term, the cost of setting up inferior pension arrangements could reduce any potential savings to UCLan. At a time of limited recruitment, the savings they make from this change will be negligible. • The number of pensioners living in poverty in the UK is the worst in Europe, for staff to avoid pensioner poverty they need a decent workplace pension to supplement the very low state pension. • If more employers like UCLan close membership of the scheme to new starters this could lead to serious cash flow problems for LGPS funds, with a shortfall in contributions at the same time as the number of pensioners increase. • UCLAN is signed up to the “Preston Model” of Community Wealth Building within Preston and the wider Lancashire area. By withdrawing access to the LGPS the university will be instrumental in increasing pensioner poverty in the area in the years to come, how does this fit with the Preston model? We are calling on UCLAN to withdraw this decision and ensure that all staff who work for them get the decent pension which they rightly deserve. #Fight4FairPensions

Poverty and inequality were already at an unacceptably high level in Scotland well before the Coronavirus pandemic struck, and we have grave concerns that such socio-economic disadvantage has only intensified, especially for children and women. The Scottish Government’s commitment to significantly reduce Child Poverty by 2030, with a view to ultimately eradicating it, and the creation of the new Scottish Child Payment Benefit is welcomed by the STUC Women’s Committee. Similarly, we welcome the Deputy First Minister’s pledge to expand free school meals provision to all Primary school pupils if the SNP retain power at the 2021 Scottish Parliament Elections. However, we strongly believe that further urgent action to mitigate child poverty is required immediately. The Scottish Government have the power and resources to go further in introducing progressive policies that can more strongly mitigate poverty and inequality and make life-changing differences to children and families now. Firm and decisive action on child poverty in Scotland cannot be further delayed. That is why the STUC Women’s Committee is calling on the Scottish Government to expand Universal Free School Meals to all children and young people, including those of Secondary school and Nursery age, with immediate effect. Moreover, we are calling on the Scottish Government to combat holiday hunger by ensuring that there are programmes and provisions in place in all of Scotland’s local authorities so that all children and young people have access to sufficient food during the school holidays. Our most vulnerable children, young people's right and access to a nutritious meal should not be determined by chance of the local authority they live in or based on the goodwill of community volunteers. We know that the roots of the poverty-related attainment gap stretch well beyond the school gates, but the significant role our educational institutions play in tackling poverty, challenging inequality, and helping to build a healthier, more inclusive society cannot be underestimated. We strongly believe that the introduction of Universal Free School Meals will not only help to combat hunger and poverty but will shatter the stigma and shame associated with the provision of meals on a means tested basis and will fuel young people’s ability to learn in the classroom. Neither empty tummies nor low self-esteem make for full days of learning in school. Furthermore, this progressive policy sends a clear and positive message to the rest of the devolved nations and beyond that we are serious about ending poverty in Scotland, and that we are genuinely committed to educational equity and to the wellbeing of our young people. Sign the petition today and email the First Minister showing your support.

Tracking what happens to women’s pay is vital to building a fairer future and holding employers to account. Businesses have to report on a wide range of regulations/requirements - but gender pay gap reporting was the only one suspended last year. That can’t be right. Equality isn’t a nice value to have — it is essential. Especially in a time of crisis. Decades of progress in gender equality is being undone in a matter of months. Women have faced greater economic hardship through this pandemic, disproportionately losing jobs and income. Low paid women, black and minority ethnic (BME) women, disabled women and working mums are experiencing some of the most acute impacts. Women that were already at greater risk of being treated unfairly at work. Analysis by the TUC unearthed a staggering 35% pay gap for disabled women double that of the average gender pay gap, and that BME women are overrepresented in low paid, insecure jobs compared to white women and men. Join Grazia, Mother Pukka and the TUC as we call on Liz Truss MP, to maintain the requirement for larger employers to report on their gender pay gap in 2021 and to urgently introduce legislation requiring employers to report on ethnicity and disability pay gaps. We need you to show up for equal pay. Because equality isn’t a nice to have, it is fundamental. https://mcusercontent.com/ebd004a8047907dc47d269fd1/images/cb0315e4-99a5-4bb4-8d6d-0cfcd180bd0a.png

The practice of fire and rehire is a disgraceful tactic by a company like DHL, particularly for staff who have heroically worked throughout the pandemic. These staff have hard fought for rights, and the employer must respect them. In this case, a small number of older staff, on legacy contracts feel unable to relocate their place of work to the new DHL site. Their contract has no mobility clause. While the site is close, these members do not own a car and would need to cycle for up to two hours extra a day (on top of 11-15hr shifts) down dangerous unlit and often flooded roads. We demand DHL honour the contractual rights of our members.

BT has decided as a part of the better work place program to close desk based sites in London and the south east of England and move this work further north and abroad. This will mean as over 4000 high paying jobs and livelihoods will be lost and gravely damage local economies. Every member has their own reasons for needing sites to stay open. Here are just a few of them; - I'm signing to save my job in the south east - We are going through a Pandemic and people are already suffering financially and psychologicaly, it will be unethical to force people out now. The desk based jobs are essential to delivery of services I wish the decision makers could see the impact their hasty decisions will have on individuals on the receiving end. - I am being driven out of my job because of openreach wanting to move their base of operations to strategic sites with no consideration for the destruction and hardship it will cause. Dejected and heartbroken knowing the company I have been so proud to work for thinks so little of my contribution. Sad beyond words! - I want my friend to be able to keep her job! She has given over 25 years to openreach. She deserves to keep her job that she loves! - I am signing because i worked for BT in Brighton office for 15 years and to move it all north is a nonsense as lots of sites in the southeast have been sites of exilence many times - It is ridiculous that BT are closing these key buildings in our capital city where so many long serving employees are based. Another example of a Senior Management Initiative which takes no account of the impact on it's loyal workforce! - The skill, experience and commitment of desk based planners outweigh the short term Financial gain that Senior management desire Jobs at risk: BT TOWER 502 BAYNARD 843 DARTFORD 111 PURLEY 33 ALDERSHOT 236 COLUMBO 796 ILFORD MILL HOUSE 197 EDMONTON 187 SEVENOAKS WS 372 BRIGHTON WITHDEAN 266 CRAWLEY 126 CANTERBURY BECKETT HOUSE 247 AMBASSADOR HOUSE 99 FARADAY 724 Portsmouth Central 70 Worthing Swandean 40 TOTAL 4,849 staff numbers estimated at the time of publication

Sick pay slashed in the middle of a pandemic, terms and conditions attacked, what would you do? Bus drivers with Go North West in Manchester are being bullied and threatened with the sack if they don’t sign new contracts on inferior terms in a brutal fire and rehire attack. The company has refused to row back and has even started hand delivering letters with dismissal dates included for those that don’t sign. Now the drivers, who have worked on the frontline throughout the pandemic and face having their sickness agreement ripped up and working longer hours for less pay, are getting ready to strike after voting by 82.3% to walk out. With your help we can keep the pressure on. Please join us in calling on the CEO of the Go Ahead group David Brown to act. He’s the top chief of the entire group and our best bet of getting the company to take fire and rehire off the table and get them back around the negotiating table. Email Mr Brown now.

Employees at AGH Solutions Ltd, a private wholly-owned subsidiary of Airedale NHS Trust responsible for facilities management, estates and procurement services are currently on unequal pay rates despite doing the same job. Workers who were transferred (TUPED) over from the Airedale NHS Trust into AGH Solutions (AGHS) in 2018 remain on the NHS “Agenda For Change” (AFC) contract, while many new starters are paid on lower pay rates. For the majority of workers on the AGHS pay Grade A, this means they receive nearly £1.00 per hour less in basic pay than the rest of their colleagues employed under the NHS AFC contract on Band 2. If you factor in unsocial hours pay on the weekends and nights the wage gap widens much further. “I don’t feel valued. I do the same job as a friend who gets paid more than I do for the same work. It’s not right.” - Shift Porter To outline the pay difference. A Domestic employed on the NHS contract receives a basic rate of £9.89 per hour. If they work between 8pm - 6am or on a Saturday they get paid £14.14 per hour, and if they work on a Sunday they get paid £18.29 per hour. 

In contrast, a Domestic employed on the AGHS contract only gets paid £9.00 per hour no matter when they work. The basic hourly pay gap and the fact that AGHS workers don’t receive unsocial hours enhancements makes a huge difference. This is all without comparing sick pay rates, holiday entitlement and pension plans, all of which are significantly better under AFC. The purpose of this petition, our campaign and the GMB dispute at Airedale Hospital is to end the pay disparity for the majority of workers employed on AGHS pay rates and stop the race to the bottom in our NHS. “GMB will continue to stand-up for key workers. This pandemic has highlighted the tremendous debt of gratitude we all owe our frontline NHS heroes, and at Airedale, with this campaign, we can begin to repay that debt” - Rachel Dix, GMB Regional Organiser

Without the nursery, many posties, especially women, would not be able to work. The nursery has been a vital support to many in its 22-year history, enabling local people to take jobs at Mount Pleasant. Protecting Kiddycare Nursery also protects jobs for local people.

Official government NHS plans contain a proposal to close both the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and the Royal Preston Hospital and replace them with a so called 'super-hospital' on a single site elsewhere. This proposal represents a serious threat to the future of full hospital provision in Lancaster and the large area of North Lancashire and South Cumbria the RLI serves. Likewise, the people of Preston and Central Lancashire will also risk the loss of properly accessible full local hospital services. Any increase in travel distances, especially for emergencies, is not acceptable. Both cities and surrounding areas need and deserve their own hospitals, each with a full range of services, with proper investment to upgrade these. Keep up to date with our campaign here: https://www.facebook.com/LancasterSaveOurHospitals

The Sheffield City Region is the ‘low pay capital’ of the UK and has consistently ranked highly on COVID infection-rate charts. Now on the brink of a local lockdown, the lives of low wage workers in the city are in turmoil. This pandemic has shone a light on the people who really keep Sheffield going. It isn’t the billionaires, the bankers or the CEOs. It’s the healthcare workers, the carers, the cleaners, the transport workers, the refuse collectors and the fast food workers who feed people. The working class people struggling to get by. Working conditions in these industries are deteriorating quickly - adequate PPE is not available and social distancing is impossible. Fast food restaurants, shops and distribution warehouses are becoming epicentres for continuing the spread of the virus, resulting in multiple serious workplace outbreaks. If low wage workers have to self-isolate, most are forced to rely on Statutory Sick Pay, which is only £95.85 a week. Some won’t even receive that. Employers are risking the health of our communities by putting workers in the impossible position of choosing between health and paying the bills. Global corporations like McDonald’s and Amazon have the money to protect workers - but they choose to pay billions in dividends to shareholders instead.