• Sheffield Uni Needs East Asian Studies!
    The University of Sheffield has been a global leader in East Asian Studies since its inception as the national centre for modern Japanese Studies in 1963. Korean Studies was introduced in 1979 and maintained as a small, specialist unit until the boom in interest in Korea over the last decade has seen an explosion in student and research interest. Chinese Studies also has a multi-decade history of excellence in teaching and research at Sheffield. And increasing numbers of our staff work across linguistic and other divisions to consider relations across and beyond the region. Increased student numbers, particularly at postgraduate level, along with growth in research income has also seen a slow, but persistent, growth in staffing. This has begun to compensate for long standing inequalities in staff-student ratios that saw EAS having the lowest staffing levels per student in the university for many years. We now have a team of about fifty academic, teaching and research staff working across the region and covering many major disciplines from the humanities and social sciences, including political economy, literature, history, international relations, anthropology, sociology, language pedagogy and film and media studies. We also have a wide range of partners from industry to government to the arts and community sectors. This makes Sheffield the largest and most diverse concentration of East Asia expertise in the UK, and one of the most significant in Europe.  That diversity also provides a unique platform for investment and growth to sustain our position as one of the major centres of East Asia expertise globally, should university leaders see the unique potential of Sheffield’s strengths. Learning about East Asia has merits on its own terms - greater cultural competency, deepening knowledge of rich and diverse cultures and societies and so on - but is also a key priority for governments of all stripes. As the University of Sheffield was finalising plans to reduce capacity, the UK Prime Minister was announcing plans to grow the UK's capacity in the Indo-Pacific. This follows on increased funding to build China capacity across the UK, and live plans to renew policy in relation to various countries of East Asia, which Sheffield staff have and will continue to inform. Reducing capacity now will make Sheffield less able to play the leading role it has played for many years in important areas of life that are deeply important to British society - from politics to culture.  In the School of East Asian Studies, we taught a record 500 masters' students in the academic year 2023-24 and have nearly 300 masters' students enrolled on degrees and modules in the current year. Many of these are international students. Sheffield is proud of its place as home of the #weareinternational campaign and the university must deliver on this message in the content of its scholarship as well as in student experience. We believe ​t​hat radical reductions in capacity ​c​reate significant ​r​isks to Sheffield's world leading reputation in East Asian Studies, our deep and meaningful partnerships in the region and beyond, and the future of East Asia expertise in the UK​.​ In a world that is potentially both more connected and more uncertain, we must cherish the area expertise that allows us to meet global challenges.  ​I​n this difficult year for universities across the UK, we must not lose sight of our core mission: to understand the world better, and to communicate that understanding. We need ​t​o recognise that the future success of the University of Sheffield relies on a strong East Asian Studies, and that East Asian Studies globally needs a strong University of Sheffield.
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    Created by Sheffield Needs East Asian Studies
  • Dorset Council: Don't Make Staff Pay To Work!
    We believe staff parking should be free for those who are contractually required to use their car for work such as social workers, and free for those who require parking nearby as a reasonable adjustment due to a disability.  It is also deeply unfair that those on low incomes are  having to pay the same as Directors and the Chief Executive. Staff are being forced to buy a £300 a year flexi permit, or pay £6 per day, when executives on over £100,000 a year will be paying much less of a percentage of their income.  Staff are being banned for 30 days without appeal if they have not purchased a ticket.  As a result staff that can't afford to pay are having to park on residential streets, which is having a detrimental impact on residents in Dorchester.  Councillors are able to park for free in all Council owned car parks when undertaking Council business, this is right but it should apply to employees of the Council too.   Staff morale is at an all time low and workplace stress at an all time high. This is an unfair system that needs to be reconsidered by Dorset Council.
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    Created by Becky Brookman
  • Talking Therapy in Derbyshire is Under Threat
    Outsourcing has a negative effect on services, not only do staff suffer but patients as well.
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    Created by James Olner
  • Carers and healthcare professionals require parking permits to prevent fines
    It's important that all vulnerable people receive the essential care they are entitled to .  It's important to show that carers and healthcare professionals matter too . Finding lawful parking spaces whilst delivering essential care isn't easy at times . It's important that carers and healthcare professionals can always park their cars whilst delivering essential care to the vulnerable people nationwide. Carers and healthcare professionals being fined is not helping with recruitment, there's already staffing shortage in the care sector. Carers and healthcare professionals are already amongst the lowest paid . As carers and healthcare professionals we put the vulnerable first even if no lawful parking space exists and this then leads to an expensive fine doesn't seem fair . Devon county council give their healthcare professionals and carers free parking permits I'm asking for this to be available to all carers and healthcare professionals please.
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    Created by Tracy Barber
  • Union Recognition at the National Deaf Children's Society
    Your support will make a difference in our efforts to achieve union recognition. The trade union movement is only as strong as the people who support it, and that’s why it is so essential that you show your support for NDCS staff at this critical moment. Together, we can get Unison recognised at NDCS.
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    Created by Jordan Creed
  • Bank Better with RDaSH - NO to NHSP
    Bank staff at RDaSH have resisted the move to NHSP for sometime, as opposed to other trusts who have gradually moved onto NHSP over the past few years. Staff forced onto NHSP contracts are now seeing their rights eroded. NHSP have not been awarded the lump sum and members have no way of challenging this. WHY? Because NHSP do not negotiate with trade unions! NHSP is preferred by trusts as it saves the them money, it does this by paying less to the bank staff. So, if you want to do any overtime you will be forced to sign onto NHSP and then get paid less than you would get for your substantive post. Imagine working on bank alongside a colleague on a substantive post, doing the same job but being paid less! Pay and conditions are protected by keeping the bank contracts with RDaSH, plain and simple! We need to fight and say no NSHP!
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    Created by Parveen Shafiq
  • I support the Cepac Strike!
    In the middle of the worst cost of living crisis in recent years management have failed to make a fair offer and are trying to cut terms and conditions.
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    Created by Tom Heslop
  • Edinburgh City Council: Pledge for Public Services
    Edinburgh City Council faces a £76m funding black hole and we have seen over many years now, the devastating impact of austerity and cuts to council budgets and the threat to democratic accountability. Local government is under pressure as never before.
    527 of 600 Signatures
    Created by Edinburgh Council Joint Unions Picture
  • Reverse Cuts to Holiday Hunger Payments
    Since July 2020, families of 96,000 children eligible for free school meals have received fortnightly payments of £27 per child during school holidays. These payments were made to parents to make up for the lack of free school meals while the schools were closed. The Department says it can't fund the payments anymore. Leaving the announcement to the last minute - mere days before the Easter break - will cause serious stress for parents. During a cost of living crisis, it is indefensible.
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    Created by Davina Pulis
  • Fair Treatment For Retail Workers
    The more support we have the more we tell the businesses that we value our retail workers and their safety and general health without pushing them so hard they become ill.
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    Created by Ben Willis
  • Protect retail workers from violence and abuse
    Retail workers have been heroes of the pandemic, ensuring the nation can remain fed. However, despite this essential role, throughout the Coronavirus crisis, retail workers have been spat at, threatened with infection of Coronavirus and physically assaulted. Last year, 90% of retail workers were abused simply as a result of going to work. Following Usdaw’s campaign in Scotland, the Scottish parliament passed the Protection of Workers Act earlier this year. So from 24 August 2021, Scottish retail workers have specific protection from abuse, threats and violence. Usdaw wants all retail workers right across the UK to benefit from the same legal protection as their colleagues in Scotland. Please sign our petition to show your support
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    Created by Paddy Lillis
  • Demand a pay rise for key workers
    Key workers are getting this country through the pandemic. They headed out to work when the rest of the country stayed at home – putting themselves and their families at risk. It’s time to end the low pay and insecure work that leave many of these workers struggling, and make sure every key worker gets a payrise. The coronavirus crisis demonstrated how much we all owe to all our key workers - healthcare staff, care workers, retail and delivery workers, public transport workers, teachers and support staff, cleaners, energy workers and so many others. But the fact is, many of these workers - an estimated two million - are on the national minimum wage. And many are in insecure work, employed on zero hours contracts with poor terms and conditions. The government can raise the minimum wage. It can use its powers to ban zero hours contracts. And it directly sets the wages of four million key workers in the public sector. It’s time for ministers to act – and give all our key workers the payrise they have earned. Ministers turned up to clap for key workers every Thursday during the lockdown. Now is the time for them to show their support again.
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