Latest news with #SPT
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Update issued ahead of Glasgow subway strike action
More than 100 Glasgow Subway workers, represented by the Unite union, were set to walk out on Saturday, June 21. However, the industrial action has been paused following a new offer from SPT. READ MORE: Glasgow subway set to close during huge Bellahouston Park gigs The dispute centres around pay, terms, and working conditions, with staff raising concerns over chronic understaffing and excessive overtime demands. Andrew Brown, Industrial Officer at Unite, said: 'An interim offer has been tabled by SPT. "Our members will now decide if it provides a temporary solution until a wider long-term agreement can be secured. "Strike action has been suspended for this Saturday, June 21, as an act of good faith while members are balloted on the offer.' Unite claims that SPT workers are frequently working up to 10 hours beyond their contracted 39 hours per week to keep the subway system operational. The union says the service is 'struggling' due to severe staff shortages. A ballot on the offer is scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 22. If the offer is rejected, further strike action is planned for June 25, 27, and 28. READ MORE: Glasgow Summer Sessions announced event full of punk legends These dates coincide with several major events, including the Punk All Dayer festival featuring the Sex Pistols, and concerts by Sting, Simple Minds, and Stereophonics at Bellahouston Park as part of the city's Summer Sessions. The Glasgow Times reported last year that a number of punk legends would be performing at the park as part of the Punk All Dayer festival on June 21. A continuous overtime ban will also begin on 13 June, further impacting operations in the run-up to the strikes.
The National
2 days ago
- Business
- The National
Update on Glasgow Subway strikes during Summer Sessions
More than 100 Glasgow Subway workers, represented by the Unite union, were set to walk out on Saturday, June 21. However, the industrial action has been paused following a new offer from SPT. The dispute centres around pay, terms, and working conditions, with staff raising concerns over chronic understaffing and excessive overtime demands. READ MORE: Paolo Nutini and Ncuti Gatwa join calls for Labour to suspend Israel arms sales Andrew Brown, Industrial Officer at Unite, said: 'An interim offer has been tabled by SPT. "Our members will now decide if it provides a temporary solution until a wider long-term agreement can be secured. "Strike action has been suspended for this Saturday, June 21, as an act of good faith while members are balloted on the offer.' Unite claims that SPT workers are frequently working up to 10 hours beyond their contracted 39 hours per week to keep the subway system operational. The union says the service is 'struggling' due to severe staff shortages. READ MORE: Weekend night bus services to return to Scottish city A ballot on the offer is scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 22. If the offer is rejected, further strike action is planned for June 25, 27, and 28. These dates coincide with several major events, including the Punk All Dayer festival featuring the Sex Pistols, and concerts by Sting, Simple Minds, and Stereophonics at Bellahouston Park as part of the city's Summer Sessions. A continuous overtime ban will also begin on 13 June, further impacting operations in the run-up to the strikes.
Scoop
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
UN Torture Prevention Body To Visit Serbia
Geneva,10 June 2025 - The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) will conduct its first visit to Serbia from 15 to 21 June to assess the measures taken by the country to protect people deprived of liberty from torture and ill-treatment. During the mission, the SPT delegation will visit prisons, police stations and other places where people are or may be deprived of their liberty. The delegation will meet with government officials, the Protector of Citizens (Ombudsman), representatives of civil society, and UN agencies. The delegation will also hold meetings and conduct joint visits with the national monitoring body, officially known as the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM). 'We will be there to see, to listen, and to examine the conditions in which prisoners, detainees, and all others deprived of their liberty are held. Our visit will focus on how safeguards against torture and ill-treatment are being implemented in practice, and how these protections can be further strengthened,' said Massimiliano Bagaglini, who is heading the SPT delegation. 'A comprehensive national torture prevention system requires regular visits by an independent and well-resourced national detention monitoring body, and we will therefore also be looking at the functioning of the NPM in Serbia,' he added. The SPT is mandated to visit all States Parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT), which Serbia ratified in 2006. At the end of the visit, the SPT will present its confidential preliminary observations to the Government of Serbia. The SPT delegation will be composed of the following members of the Subcommittee: Massimiliano Bagaglini, Head of Delegation (Italy), Vasiliki Artinopoulou (Greece), Kalliopi Kambanella (Cyprus), Nika Kvaratskhelia (Georgia) as well as two Human Rights Officers from the SPT Secretariat.
Glasgow Times
13-06-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
First Bus 'cannot' run services across Renfrew Bridge
First Bus announced that it cannot run buses across the new Renfrew Bridge at present. The company stated that this is due to the 'unpredictability' of the crossing's closures. The 184-metre bridge is a twin-leaf design, meaning it opens and closes horizontally to let river traffic pass through. TheRenfrew Bridge (Image: Colin Mearns) As such, it can be closed to vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists for up to hours at a time, depending on the level of river traffic. The bridge is operated by Renfrewshire Council. A First Bus spokesperson said: 'Unfortunately, as it currently stands, we are not able to operate a bus service across the new Renfrew Bridge.' It comes after we previously reported that there is a 'lack of public transport' crossing the river in this area. Councillor Malcolm Mitchell, who represents the Garscadden/Scotstounhill ward, raised the issue in a letter to SPT and First Bus following the loss of the Renfrew to Yoker Ferry. Councillor Malcolm Mitchell (Image: Archives) READ NEXT: 'All options must be considered' to save historic ferry The vessel stopped sailing on May 31 after a decline in passenger numbers following the opening of the Renfrew Bridge. Councillor Mitchell highlighted that the ferry had been the only public transport crossing the Clyde in the vicinity of the bridge, and its loss means there is no public transport crossing for a seven-mile stretch between the Clyde Tunnel and the Erskine Bridge. The Renfrew to Yoker Ferry (Image: Colin Mearns) He called for SPT to engage with bus operators - such as First Bus - and the local authorities surrounding the bridge to look at whether a viable timetabled bus service could run across it. If not then exploring the possibility of a shuttle service or the re-routing/expansion of current bus services south of the river to take in the new road network around Meadowside Street/Fishers Road. However, First Bus has since stated that re-routing/expanding its offering in this area is not possible due to 'strict conditions' on its service delivery and reliability. READ NEXT: Calls for McGill's to run bus service over Renfrew Bridge A First Bus spokesperson added: 'We are sad to see the loss of the Renfrew Ferry, a much-loved service for people in the local area. 'The obstacle to us rerouting existing services or adding new services to take advantage of the bridge is the unpredictability of the bridge closures, often for several hours at a time. 'As a bus operator, we need to operate under strict conditions around our service delivery and reliability, which is enforced by the Office of the Traffic Commissioner. 'The unpredictable closures of the new Renfrew Bridge mean running a bus service across the bridge is not currently a viable option.' The Renfrew Bridge connects Yoker and Clydebank directly to Renfrew. Its completion marked the end of the £117million Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside project. This was led by Renfrewshire Council and funded as part of the £1.13billion Glasgow City Region Deal.
The Sun
13-06-2025
- The Sun
Police investigating explosion that damaged three houses in Bukit Mertajam
BUKIT MERTAJAM: Police are investigating an explosion at Taman Serumpun, here early this morning, which caused damage to three houses. Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) District Police Chief ACP Helmi Aris said they received information from the public regarding the incident at 1:05 am, reporting a loud explosion in the residential area. 'Police investigations found that the explosion is believed to have originated from a firecracker thrown into one of the houses, and the impact of the explosion also caused damage to two adjacent houses. 'The incident caused damage to the ceilings and yards of all three houses. Vehicles at two of the houses also sustained damage,' he said in a statement tonight. Helmi said that based on preliminary investigations, they do not rule out the possibility that the incident was caused by debt issues and that the act is suspected to have been carried out by two men in a car, but further investigation is still ongoing. He said the case is being investigated under Section 435 of the Penal Code and Section 6 of the Explosives Act 1957, while urging public witnesses with information to come forward to the SPT District Police Headquarters (IPD) to assist the investigation or contact Senior Investigating Officer ASP Assan Alimudin at 012-4418081.
