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Vista Therm: Respect your Workers! Recognise Unite!Workers from Vista Therm, in Lurgan Northern Ireland, are on weeks-long all-out strike action for fair pay, union recognition and dignity at work. Amongst a web of unlimited companies in the British Virgin Islands and Isle of Man these companies no longer disclose their financial accounting. However trade sources estimate the parent company to be worth around £200m. The last time Vista Therm in Lurgan published its accounts was in 2021 and the company turnover then was up 24.6% with profits of £6m. This is a hugely successful business and without its skilled workforce to deliver the finished products it simply wouldn’t be the success that it is today. These workers didn’t choose to go on strike lightly, they were forced to take this action because the company refused to listen to them and engage in any talks or discussion.267 of 300 SignaturesCreated by Neil Moore Unite
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Pay Fair for Patient Care – support Warrington and Halton's Healthcare AssistantsHundreds of nursing support staff at Warrington and Halton hospitals have been working above their pay grade for years. We are calling on their trust to pay them the wage they deserve and to award back-pay for years of underpayment.1,081 of 2,000 SignaturesCreated by UNISON North West
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Save the Zoom Beyond Travel Pass!The proposal would see the Zoom Beyond travel pass removed on the 1st November 2023. In just three months, they will take away the ability to afford mobility for thousands of young people in South Yorkshire. Almost 35000 people aged 18-21 use a Zoom Beyond pass in our region. In addition, the Board is planning to raise the concessionary fare from 80p per single journey to £1 per single journey in effect from the start of November. This would reduce the ability for so many children across the region to socialise, go to extracurricular clubs, and would most likely lead to a greater proportion of school students being driven to school in car - increasing congestion, air pollution and further contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. SYMCA is currently looking into a Franchised Bus model - taking power away from the executives of profit-driven private companies like Stagecoach and First and placing more of said power in the hands of the directly elected Mayor. The Trams in Sheffield are already being taken into Public Control (I.e., run directly by SYMCA, and therefore more easily scrutinised) this Autumn, and it is looking like the buses will eventually follow. Due to this, the Combined Authority should instead aim to inherit a bus service with concessionary fares it can be proud of! The budget meeting mentions that if the 80p fare had risen with cumulative inflation from its introduction in 2016, it would be £1.20. That is an exciting thing, though! Even if it draws less profit and costs more as a subsidy, it means that South Yorkshire has one of the lowest fares for those up to the age of 18 in the country, and the lowest fare in the country currently for those up to the age of 21! The neglect of public services in the North of England by the government is a parasite to our progress. Ignorance of the needs of those across South Yorkshire mustn't continue. We deserve a flourishing, integrated transport system - supporting everyone from Thorne to Stocksbridge; one that lends a hand to all young people wanting to study, work, go out, or get about for any reason. We should take pride in the fact we are giving our young people the greatest possible chance to succeed, and we must fight to keep it that way.3,153 of 4,000 SignaturesCreated by Jude Daniel Smith
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Raise the minimum wage to £15 an hour for childcare workersChildcare and early years education workers have an immense responsibility. They look after and educate the youngest members of our society and help give children the best start in life. But years of Government underfunding have made it harder and harder for childcare workers to stay in the sector, and manage financially. Thousands of childcare workers live wage-packet to wage-packet, struggling to get by. Like many of us in this cost of living crisis, they are now being pushed to the brink by eye-watering bills and soaring prices. Low wages hurt not just childcare workers, but everyone who relies on their help to raise a family. Parents from all sectors need high quality childcare to get by. It takes a village to raise a child. Let’s raise the standards for childcare and early years education workers so they get the pay and respect they deserve. Childcare and early years education workers are just some of many workers who are struggling to get by on low wages. We support the TUC's campaign calling for £15 an hour for all workers: https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/raise-the-minimum-wage-to-ps15-an-hour10,076 of 15,000 Signatures
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#CutsLeaveScars: stop cuts to Scottish Fire and Rescue ServiceOn 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.3,691 of 4,000 SignaturesCreated by Colin Brown
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Save Brighton Pride from Govia Thameslink Railway!Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) are planning disrupt the journeys of tens of thousands of visitors to Brighton Pride by cancelling all trains south of Three Bridges next Saturday. They are claiming they can't get the extra drivers for increase capacity due to the overtime ban implemented by ASLEF train drivers. The company has known for months this was going to happen and instead of making alternative plans they have taken the nuclear option of mass cancellations. ASLEF have acknowledged that it would be possible to design a shift pattern that could accommodate the event but GTR are refusing to engage. GTR have enough drivers to cover the event if they were to reallocate from the Peterborough or Cambridge routes and run a shuttle service to London. Their decision to cancel all trains to Brighton will leave tens of thousands of people stranded and will be dangerous for those trying to get home. GTR can create a shift pattern that works but are instead cancelling all trains, they must urgently act to save Brighton Pride.1,698 of 2,000 SignaturesCreated by Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP
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Exempt Cost-of-Living Payments for Universal Credit ClaimantsWorkers who are also in receipt of Universal Credit are among those most negatively impacted by the current cost-of-living crisis. Where unions are winning payments from government in this respect, it is unfair that those who also claim Universal Credit do not benefit from those payments. The government has available powers to protect UC claimants from this unintended consequence and exempt the payment from UC calculations.3,650 of 4,000 SignaturesCreated by Paul Martin
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Trouble brewing at tea giant Tata GlobalThese workers deserve fair pay for skilled work and an end to real terms pay cuts, their quality of life has been eroded over time, this needs to change for the workers, their families and for the future of decent paid jobs in Teeside.140 of 200 SignaturesCreated by Laura Maughan
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Denso Marston Ltd workers demand fair payManufacturing has a proud industrial heritage in this country. Skills have, in the past, been valued and paid accordingly. We are now seeing a race to the bottom where for many the minimum wage (or slightly over so the company can't be accused of being a minimum wage employer) becomes the maximum wage. This erosion needs to end. Too often companies make massive profits but fail to remunerate workers for the input they have had in achieving this. Workers at Denso Marston deserve better. They deserve to be valued and paid accordingly for their work. They deserve a 12% pay increase. Support the workers in their campaign for fair pay. Please sign and share this petition.4,149 of 5,000 SignaturesCreated by Louise Foster-Wilson
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Northants PFCC must goThe 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.769 of 800 SignaturesCreated by FBU Northamptonshire
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Pay Fair for Patient Care – support Wirral’s clinical support workersAdd 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.3,447 of 4,000 SignaturesCreated by UNISON North West
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Rishi Sunak: don't raise the state pension age furtherThe 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/ ***3,940 of 4,000 SignaturesCreated by Josh Berlyne