Over the last few months, Reform councillors in both Staffordshire and Warwickshire have attacked the visibility and representation of LGBTQ+ people in council libraries. In Staffordshire, library staff have been told that “we will not be celebrating Pride in any form”. They have been instructed to remove displays, halt events and activities, and cease any Pride-related communications. In Warwickshire, the Reform leader has said that county council libraries “have been promoting contested gender ideology”. He went on to say that issues had been raised with him, such as staff wearing rainbow lanyards and libraries having a book that “would give out the wrong messages” and potentially be “dangerous to young children”. The Reform leadership has promised “a comprehensive policy” for libraries and other council-owned public spaces “to combat this trend”.  Inclusive libraries matter. Research found that 81% of LGBT+ respondents oppose restrictions on the promotion of Pride events in public libraries.* It also found that nearly three-quarters (72%) believe withdrawing public funding from Pride events would negatively affect LGBT+ people, with reduced feelings of inclusion and belonging and increased concerns about discrimination among the most cited impacts.  We believe that libraries should be inclusive spaces that help to educate, inform and entertain people of every age, gender, sexuality, background and political belief. They are here to help open minds, not close them. *LGBT+ results are based on a cross-break of respondents within the nationally representative UK sample and are not a standalone representative sample of LGBT+ adults

Getting banks to pay more tax on their profits to help us with the cost of living is common sense. They’re raking in billions while the rest of us are struggling. We've seen this pattern before. The high interest rates introduced after Putin's illegal invasion in Ukraine combined with a reduced bank surcharge tax — brought down to just 3% by the Conservatives — led to a bumper pay day for the banks. The economic chaos sparked by Trump's illegal war in Iran is already seeing this pattern continue at our expense. Increasing the bank surcharge could raise billions to help fund a social tariff scheme to reduce energy bills. The TUC's proposed social tariff would cut typical bills by between £340 and £520 a year for half of households (those on low and lower-middle incomes), with those in greatest need getting the most off. But when energy costs spike, as is happening now, support would ratchet up so that two-thirds of households would get an emergency boost to match their needs. At current (Summer 2026) rates, this would see: • The lowest-income households typically saving £520 a year • Middle-income households typically saving £340 a year • And upper-middle earners saving £170 a year If put in place now, the scheme (including the emergency tariff) would cost only £6bn per year. Setting the bank surcharge at 35% — the level of the Conservatives’ windfall tax on energy companies — could raise up to £60bn over four years. Even a 16% surcharge would be enough to cover the scheme. History shows that when working people act together, we can win a fairer economy that works for everyone. We can do that again today. It's time the banks paid their fair share in tax. It's time for a social tariff to cut energy bills.

Today, British workers put in the longest full-time working hours compared to almost every country in the EU and at the same time we have one of the least productive economies. Research conducted by the 4 Day Week Global Campaign has found that:  • 63% of organisations find it easier to attract and retain staff with a four-day week • 78% of employees with a four-day week are happier and less stressed  • 92% of companies in the UK opted to continue with the four day week • Levels of anxiety and fatigue decreased • Mental and physical health both improved • The number of staff leaving participating companies decreased significantly, dropping by 57% over the trial period Current part-time workers could also stand to benefit from a pro-rata reduction in their working hours with no loss of pay, provided job descriptions and workload expectations are realistic for the number of hours worked. The arguments in favour of a four-day working week gain increasing ground as ever more new technology is introduced into the workplace, generating substantial productivity gains, and those benefits should be shared among the workforce. Dorset Council would bolster and help cement their reputation as a cutting-edge employer and institution among staff, students, Dorset and the wider community. Further, they’d be helping lead the way nationally and in the sector on being a four-day working week employer as a key component of changing our working life. We call on Dorset Council to commit to implementing a four-day working week trial in the institution, with the view to making it permanent. UNISON Dorset Branch

Around 600 employees are set to be hit by the plans, which will see some workers being forced to commute to Manchester and Leeds to keep their jobs, while other roles will be cut entirely.  The jobs being impacted includes work from across BT’s remit, with everyone from 999 callers to Openreach workers. One particular group of employees seriously affected by the announcement are Relay UK Workers, who enable deaf and hard of hearing people to communicate over the phone. This highly skilled, specialised work is vital for enabling communication for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, and the CWU fear that this may be the beginning of the end for a service which has provided a lifeline for thousands of people across the country. The union’s call to keep these jobs in Liverpool has been widely supported across Liverpool, and has been backed by local councillors, MPs and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, whose mayor Steve Rotheram has written to BT urging them to reconsider their decision. Decisions like this should always consider the real impact on frontline employees and their families.  Changes such as redundancy or relocation can cause distress, uncertainty and disruption. These employees work hard every day and are key to BT’s success. The CWU believe that it is economically viable for BT to maintain a presence in Liverpool and that is the best outcome for staff and service users. 

• Admin staff deserve to be paid fairly for the work that they do. Their work is essential to ensure patient safety and the effective running of services so that patients have a good experience. • Admin staff could lose up to £9,463.20 per year. How is this fair? How will staff continue to pay their bills, mortgages and care for their families? • The trust is cutting 175 previously unfilled vacancies. Services are already experiencing understaffing due to these unfilled vacancies. Less staff could lead to workplace stress and the potential for delays to patient care. • If these plans go ahead, there could be more cuts which will impact staff and patients in the future.  • Reducing the number of higher paid admin roles removes opportunities for career progression for staff and undermines the recognition, responsibility and professional status associated with these roles.  • Reducing pay for experienced staff is likely to damage morale, worsen recruitment and retention, and increase turnover, ultimately impacting the quality and continuity of patient care.  • 76% of the staff affected are women and 64% are people of colour. The NHS prides itself on equality and inclusivity but this does not align with these values.  • The Trust is not taking into consideration the need for reasonable adjustments for disabled staff and those whose first language is not English. Sign the petition to show your support for the NHS Admin staff and the work that they do.

This matters because the proposed closure isn't about the work ending, it's about an office closing. The jobs still need doing, but experienced staff could be forced out of the DWP or asked to travel much further for work. In an area with limited opportunities for similar jobs, that would be a real blow to workers, their families and the local economy.

Staff have been forced to work while suffering from dehydration, with members even reporting that they’ve fainted on the way home from work, when this was raised with management they received no response. Gallery assistants are also expected to work shifts in the garden at the South Kensington site in extreme hot weather putting their health, and the safety of visitors at risk. Our members have had enough! They said “the V&A has shown it does not value its lowest paid workers indispensable contributions to the operations of its museums. Without us these buildings don’t operate”. We need sufficient mitigations to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of our colleagues now!    Further to these major health and safety incidents, after multiple attempts to negotiate, V&A management have failed to provide a meaningful pay offer for workers . They have also refused to become a Real Living Wage accredited employer. We work in one of the country’s most prestigious institutions, a landmark that is visited by people from all over the world yet we are treated with contempt when we ask for the bare minimum commitment from our employer to ensure we can afford to keep up with the rising cost of living in London.     When we mention that curators in other institutions have higher salaries, we are told a bigger increase for us would only be possible if they lower pay for our front of house colleagues. We all deserve fair pay, and it’s not fair that an uplift for some should result in poverty wages for others!   

Nearly everyone - 94% of adults in the UK - uses the BBC every month. The BBC has an incredible range of TV, audio and digital services - from Planet Earth to the Proms, from BBC Bitesize and The World Service to live coverage of the World Cup - all without advertising and without subscription fees. For around £3.50 a week, that’s remarkable value for money.  In return the BBC contributes £6.7 billion to the economy every year and drives the wider creative industries: nurturing talent, commissioning work, engaging thousands of freelancers and directly employing over 20,000 staff.  People across the UK’s nations, regions and local communities should see their lives and stories reflected in the BBC’s news, drama, film and musical productions.   To do this, the BBC needs proper funding. The renewal of the BBC Charter - which happens every ten years and is already underway - offers an opportunity for the government to give the BBC the resources and reforms it needs to provide a quality public service, free from commercial or political interference.  This means the BBC remaining universally funded and accessible to all. This means worker representation and no more political appointees on the BBC board. This means the BBC being the gold standard on employment rights: driving up pay, terms and conditions, and generating opportunities for workers across the country.  The constant cycle of cuts and cost-saving must end. Public services only work when we invest in them and the people who provide them.  We urge the BBC’s new director general Matt Brittin to listen to his workers and call on the UK government to urgently intervene.  How can I get involved?  The BBC is ours – and it’s up to us to fight for it.  Sign this petition to show solidarity with workers and demonstrate how much a properly funded, independent and representative BBC means to you and your community. Please share this petition and ask your family and friends to sign too.  Read more about the Broadcasting, Entertainment & Arts Unions’ (BEAU) Charter Renewal demands. 

This dispute exemplifies the failings of outsourcing government work for profit. Cutting hours and/or staff is not in the interests of the workers delivering these important services, nor is it in the interests of the public sector workers to whom they deliver these services These cuts only benefit Sodexo.  PCS believes that outsourcing is a failed experiment, and this dispute is further evidence of that.

Civil servants deserve a pension service they can trust. Sign this petition to demand action now.

RMT estimates that more than £400 million of the railway's money is lost to outsourcing and sub-contracting firms every year. The profits from Churchill’s contract at GTR – who operate Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern Services, and Gatwick Express services – could be enough to employ the equivalent of 83 additional cleaners or 160,000 extra hours of cleaning. The creation of Great British Railways is a big step forward, ending profiteering by train operating companies and creating an integrated publicly owned railway. But too many people are still being left out, including tens of thousands of outsourced and sub-contracted workers. Railway workers in outsourced companies work just as hard and contribute just as much to public transport as those directly employed. They deserve to see the benefits of public ownership too. Add your name to call on the CEO of GTR to end outsourcing, starting with Churchill cleaners.

Children: Early years care is vital for development, especially for babies and toddlers Families: Local parents rely on affordable childcare to work and support their households Equality: Losing provision will hit lower income families hardest Adventure playgrounds: These spaces are a lifeline for local children, providing safe, creative play environments supported by skilled, trusted staff who build long term relationships with families Jobs and community: Skilled local workers face losing their livelihoods and a valued community service   Paradise Park Nursery and IPA workers are a vital part of our community. Closing the nursery, when a potential alternative exists, would have lasting consequences for children, families and staff.   We urge Islington Council to pause the closure, review the staff plan, and work with the community to save this essential service.