Latest news with #BBCPoliticsMidlands
BBC News
09-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
'Birmingham bin workers have little choice' over strike
Refuse workers have little choice but to take strike action over pay, a union representative has members in Birmingham have staged a series of one-day walkouts since January with all-out strike action due to start on 11 on BBC Politics Midlands, Onay Kasar, Unite national lead officer, said: "When you're faced with a pay cut of up to £8,000 a year, what choice do we have?"The city council said it was proposing changes which would only affect 17 people and they face a pay cut of £6,000, not the £8,000 quoted by the union. It also said it had offered those workers promotions and training to help them improve their pay, plus "attractive" voluntary redundancy the council also said the current pay structure was agreed in 2017 and was no longer the industry said the proposed pay changes were crucial if it was to become financially sustainable in the new pay structure was voted through as part of the 2025/26 budget, which includes cuts to a wide range of services and another council tax is the Labour-run authority's second budget since it declared itself effectively bankrupt in 2023. Argument over figures Mr Kasar said he was "really worried about the council's arithmetic" and said it would be 70 people affected by the pay cut, not said his union was prepared to talk and to make he added: "Councillors have given themselves a 5% increase this year, clearly there's money for one group of people but not for public service workers."Labour MP for Dudley Sonia Kumar said although she acknowledged the reason refuse workers were striking, "the people of Birmingham were suffering"."I think we need a modern, sustainable and reliable waste service," she said."And I think really we need to work collaboratively with the unions and the stakeholders to get this over the line." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MP says farmers 'feel betrayed' by government
Farmers feel "betrayed" by the government over its planned changes to inheritance tax, an MP has said. From April 2026, agricultural assets worth more than £1m, which were previously exempt, would be subject to inheritance tax at 20%. The government previously said it was a "fair and balanced" approach that would help to fix public services and only affect about 500 estates a year. But Stratford-on-Avon MP Manuela Perteghella told BBC Politics Midlands smaller farms could be forced to sell off productive land. "Hundreds of farms are going to be affected by these changes. Frankly, they feel betrayed by the government. They are going to have to sell their land," she said. Ms Perteghella said the value of farmers' land did not equal their earnings and that many did not earn much more than the minimum wage. "These are small family farms, and these changes will do nothing to discourage wealthy individuals who land bank for tax purposes," the Liberal Democrat MP added. A number of protests have been held since the policy was announced in October's budget, including when hundreds of tractors blocked Westminster last Monday. Eddie Hughes, former Conservative MP for Walsall North, said farmers were not prepared for "this dreadfully pernicious tax", adding that there should have been more consultation. "They [the government] categorically said in the run-up to the election this would not happen. It was said multiple times by all members of the cabinet, so it seems crazy we're in this position," he added. Representatives of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) are due to meet with Treasury ministers on Tuesday. Adam Jogee, Labour MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme, said he had spoken to farmers in his constituency and that it was important ministers listened to the "strength of feeling". "I want to see our farming industry supported. I want them to feel they are part of how we move our country forward," he said. But Mr Jogee said it was important to tackle the issue of wealthy individuals buying up farmland "because it suits them financially". "This has to be a conversation that delivers real results for people sitting at the table," he added. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Farmer confronts minister over inheritance tax Farmers protest tax changes with tractor convoys Inheritance tax makes farmer want early death - MP Farmers drive tractor convoy in tax protest National Farmers' Union
BBC News
16-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Stratford-on-Avon MP says farmers 'feel betrayed' by government
Farmers feel "betrayed" by the government over its planned changes to inheritance tax, an MP has April 2026, agricultural assets worth more than £1m, which were previously exempt, would be subject to inheritance tax at 20%.The government previously said it was a "fair and balanced" approach that would help to fix public services and only affect about 500 estates a Stratford-on-Avon MP Manuela Perteghella told BBC Politics Midlands smaller farms could be forced to sell off productive land. "Hundreds of farms are going to be affected by these changes. Frankly, they feel betrayed by the government. They are going to have to sell their land," she Perteghella said the value of farmers' land did not equal their earnings and that many did not earn much more than the minimum wage."These are small family farms, and these changes will do nothing to discourage wealthy individuals who land bank for tax purposes," the Liberal Democrat MP added. A number of protests have been held since the policy was announced in October's budget, including when hundreds of tractors blocked Westminster last Hughes, former Conservative MP for Walsall North, said farmers were not prepared for "this dreadfully pernicious tax", adding that there should have been more consultation."They [the government] categorically said in the run-up to the election this would not happen. It was said multiple times by all members of the cabinet, so it seems crazy we're in this position," he added. Representatives of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) are due to meet with Treasury ministers on Jogee, Labour MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme, said he had spoken to farmers in his constituency and that it was important ministers listened to the "strength of feeling"."I want to see our farming industry supported. I want them to feel they are part of how we move our country forward," he Mr Jogee said it was important to tackle the issue of wealthy individuals buying up farmland "because it suits them financially"."This has to be a conversation that delivers real results for people sitting at the table," he added. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
