Latest news with #UnitetheUnion
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Stagecoach West Scotland bus drivers' strike suspended
Stagecoach West staff began their demonstrations on June 9 and were due to continue until July 21. However, the strike action will now be paused from 3pm today, June 18, while drivers are balloted on the revised pay terms. READ MORE: 'Significant disruption' to city centre buses for a year and a half Siobhan McCready, Unite industrial officer, said: 'Unite's members at Stagecoach West Scotland have fought hard to get an improved pay offer on the table. "Strike action has now been suspended as an act of good faith while members are balloted on the new offer.' The ballot is expected to conclude by Friday afternoon. The industrial action involved 430 drivers across depots in Ayr, Arran, Ardrossan, and Kilmarnock, and affected services throughout Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Glasgow. READ MORE: Scottish Citylink adds over 4000 seats on busiest routes for summer The outcome of the ballot will determine whether the new pay offer is accepted or if industrial action will resume in the coming weeks. Further updates are expected once the ballot has concluded. A spokesperson for Stagecoach commented: "Following further discussions between Stagecoach West Scotland and Unite the Union, all drivers have been advised to return to work at our Ayrshire depots on Wednesday, June 18. "A ballot will take place on Friday, June 20, on a deal which has been recommended for acceptance by Unite the Union. "We thank our customers for their continued patience and will update further as soon as we are able to do so."
Spectator
3 days ago
- General
- Spectator
Revealed: Birmingham's pest control costs soar as bin strikes continue
Today marks the 100th day of the Birmingham bin strikes. The City of a Thousand Trades has been subjected to more than three months of refuse piling high on its streets while reports of 'cat-sized rats' feeding on the neglected rubbish have struck fear into Brum's residents. Now Mr S can reveal what is known so far of the detrimental financial and social costs of the bin worker's strike… It was on 11 March 2025 that all-out industrial action kicked off after pay talks between bin workers and the city council broke down. Unite the Union bosses have claimed that changes to how rubbish is collected will mean that 170 workers will face an annual pay cut of £8,000 – figures that Birmingham City Council disputes. They aren't the only figures that council chiefs aren't sure about: they have not yet managed to tally up the total sum of the strikes – from dealing with missed bin collections to paying for clean-up operations – and they don't know how many people have been affected, or which areas have been most impacted. A whopping £90,767.20 was splurged on pest control services in Birmingham this March, while over the Easter weekend alone there 376 complaints of rats But costs are creeping up: a Freedom of Information request by the Taxpayer's Alliance shows that a whopping £90,767.20 was splurged on pest control services in March this year – taking the total spend for 2024/25 to over £416,000. Since then the council has noticed a rise in reports of rats: over the Easter weekend 270 people complained about the pests in their gardens while, alarmingly, 106 people reported rodents inside their houses. In fact, Birmingham City Council has received more than 11,000 complaints since the start of the year. While some of these predate the industrial action, the council says it responded to 75 per cent of those received with an apology and, er, suggestions about other ways to dispose of waste. Steerpike can't imagine this will have reassured the residents of the UK's Venice of the North… Even more concerning are the potential health effects the abandoned waste could have on Brum's population: gastrointestinal disease from rotting waste, fires from residents burning rubbish, blocked emergency access due to waste build-up, the psychological impact of living in filthy conditions and even a risk of physical injury from the build-up and spillage of waste across the streets. Despite these rather grim-sounding risks, the council has officially rated them as 'tolerable' – despite declaring a multi-agency major incident. And the summer months look to bring more problems. 'Higher temperatures may putrefy waste, causing liquid run-off and increasing the risk of contamination,' the council admits. BCC also notes that people living in deprived areas – as well as children, disabled and elderly residents across the city – are at a greater risk of being affected by the adverse health consequences of the strikes. Cheery stuff, eh? There doesn't look to be much let up soon, as Unite members overwhelmingly voted to continue strike action a fortnight ago. While Birmingham City Council claims it had made workers a 'fair and reasonable offer', frustrated residents are demanding it does more. Just yesterday, BCC's meeting had to be adjourned following three separate interruptions from the public gallery. Steerpike has approached the council for comment, while Joanna Marchong, the TPA's investigations campaign manager, said of the issue: Families in Birmingham will be appalled by the council's blatant disregard for their health and safety. Birmingham council is forking out hundreds of thousands of pounds on pest control while branding residents living amongst filth as 'tolerable'. After years of mismanagement, council leaders must focus on tackling bureaucratic waste so that they can get basic service delivery back on track for taxpayers. Strong stuff. Will the council heed the warnings directed its way? Stay tuned…
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
We will win the fight on net zero, says Ed Miliband
Ed Miliband has pledged to beat the critics of his net zero policies by creating thousands of new jobs in the UK's declining industrial regions. Speaking on Tuesday at an offshore wind conference in London, the Energy Secretary said Britain was on the brink of a 'green industrial revolution' that would boost employment and bring down household bills. It follows growing criticism from the Conservatives and Reform UK over the cost of Britain's spending on renewables, which has added at least £200 to the average domestic power bill. Mr Miliband said: 'We are witnessing the coming of age of Britain's green industrial revolution,' he said. 'We are building this new era of clean energy abundance, helping deliver new jobs, energy security and lower household bills through our Plan for Change.' It followed an announcement that a new public company set up by Mr Miliband last year to boost green initiatives, known as Great British Energy, was investing £300m in offshore wind supply chains. The investment will target former industrial areas like Teesside, Scotland, South Wales and East Anglia and is expected to create new green jobs. It is aimed at countering critics who point out that too much of the kit needed for Britain's energy transition is being manufactured abroad – meaning it is failing to generate jobs or skills for British workers. Unite the Union, which supports the Labour Party, has published reports suggesting only 20pc of UK wind farm equipment is made in the UK. A separate report from Robert Gordon University put the UK content at 25pc. A separate report from RenewableUK and the Offshore Wind Industry Council suggests there are now 40,000 people working in the UK's offshore wind industry with a separate study showing another 15,000 work in onshore wind – a total of 55,000 people. The total could reach 90,000 by 2030, says the report. As part of the jobs and investment plan, the Crown Estate is to invest a further £400m and the offshore wind industry a further £300m – making a total of £1bn – in offshore wind manufacturing, including producing turbine blades, cables and the platforms needed for floating wind farms. Mr Miliband has become increasingly outspoken over the potential benefits of the green policies he espouses. Earlier this month he repeated his pre-election pledge that household energy bills would fall by £300 by 2030 because of green energy. On Tuesday, he launched a direct attack on his political opponents, saying: 'The forces that want to take us backwards, the forces that oppose net zero, will have to reckon not just with the Government; they will have to reckon with all these companies that are creating jobs.' Richard Tice, energy spokesman for Reform UK, said: 'Mr Miliband is taking a big risk with the UK's electricity supplies and significantly increasing the risk of shortages. It even puts us at risk of blackouts – not seen here since the days of the 1970s miners' strikes. 'It's interesting his pledges to bring bills down all cite 2030 which is the year after the likely date of the next general election – by when he will have been thrown out of office.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Metro
09-06-2025
- Business
- Metro
Here's why Keir Starmer thinks technology will actually make us 'more human'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The UK must 'push past' the debate over whether AI will take people's jobs, Keir Starmer has said, as he argued the tech is making us more human. Businesses and industries across the country have been transformed by the technology, which can summarise vast documents and generate text or images in a matter of seconds. While workers and unions have expressed concerns over the impact of the sweeping change, the Prime Minister has embraced it. In a speech at London Tech Week this morning, Sir Keir recalled being 'really struck' by the impact AI is having on the war in Ukraine and pushing for it to be 'hardwired' into the recent Strategic Defence Review. He said: 'I've set the challenge to all of my teams: show me how they can use AI — not just in the output of government, not just in partnership with yourselves and others in the delivery of services — but also in the very way we do government.' As an example, he spoke about a social worker he met in Downing Street who told him AI is 'slashing her paperwork and her caseload'. Craig Munro breaks down Westminster chaos into easy to follow insight, walking you through what the latest policies mean to you. Sign up here. The PM said: 'She could use AI and tech to help with the parts that could be done more quickly. And from that, I've always said: AI and tech make us more human. 'It may sound like an odd thing to say, but it's true—and we need to say it. 'Because some people out there are sceptical. They worry about AI taking their jobs. But I know from audiences like this, this debate has been had many times. We need to push past it.' AI is expected to form a central part of the spending review on Wednesday, when Chancellor Rachel Reeves will outline plans for government budgets over the next few years. Departments will be encouraged to use the tech to slash costs and speed up work. More Trending But it has also played a role behind the scenes of the review. In January, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said a tool nicknamed 'HMT GPT' was being used to summarise spending bids from different departments. Following a speech on AI from the Prime Minister that same month, Unite the Union general secretary Sharon Graham called for 'proper protections from AI's pitfalls'. She said: 'The introduction of AI in the workplace must be something that happens with workers and not to workers. 'Government, employers, and unions all need to be working together to avoid the potential dangers of workplace AI.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: The 'Gate to Hell' has been open for 50 years but is finally burning out MORE: The real reason behind 'Stop Hiring Humans' ads appearing on the Tube MORE: Three men appear in court accused of arson attacks on properties linked to Keir Starmer
Daily Record
02-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Reduced Stagecoach bus service in Ayrshire as second day of strike action starts
Several Stagecoach services in Ayrshire have been reduced or cancelled completely as drivers walk out for the second time in a dispute over pay and conditions. Bus services across Ayrshire have been hit by the latest in a series of strikes by drivers. Stagecoach drivers based in Ayr, Ardrossan, Arran and Kilmarnock all walked out for the second time this morning, Monday, June 2 after rejecting a pay deal. Some services are still running limited timetables today including the X76 and X77 services from Kilmarnock and Ayr to Glasgow as drivers from other depots fill in. In total, 45 services across the county won't run today including the X36 from North Ayrshire to Glasgow. Other services which will operate on a limited timetable include the 1 from Kilmarnock to Priestland, the 4 from Ayr to Kilmarnock the 11 from Kilmarnock to Ardrossan, the 14 from Ayr Hospital to Irvine, the 42 from Ayr to Muirkirk, the 43 from Ayr to New Cumnock and the 52 from Ayr to Bellsbank. The 323 and 324 full-island loop services on Arran will run as normal but the remaining services on the island have been cancelled. Unite the Union members - including around 430 drivers in Ayrshire - voted 98 per cent in favour of taking industrial action after they rejected a four per cent pay offer which the union said came with 'strings attached'. Stagecoach have said that drivers in Dumfries and Galloway have accepted an 11.8 per cent pay offer over two years but the same offer was rejected by drivers in Ayrshire. . at the end of April after an initial wave of strikes across seven separate day in May was announced. Further strikes are planned for Friday, June 6 before a sustained six weeks of walkouts from Monday, June 9 and lasting until Monday, July 21. For full details of the temporary timetables and details of cancelled services while industrial action is ongoing, visit Stagecoach's website.
