Latest news with #GMB
Scotsman
13 hours ago
- Scotsman
SNP must act urgently to stem horrifying epidemic of violence in Scotland's schools
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It is becoming increasingly clear that the scandalous breakdown of law and order – for it is nothing less – in Scotland's schools is an issue that requires urgent and radical action. We cannot allow generations of children to learn all the wrong lessons about violence but, based on reports of increasing desperation from those on the frontline, that is exactly what is happening and the consequences for society as a whole will be very real. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad According to the GMB union, classroom assistants in primary schools are the most likely staff to suffer violence and abuse in schools. A snapshot survey of 30 in Edinburgh found every single one had either been a victim of violence or had witnessed it. Four out of five said incidents were taking place on a daily basis and 92 per cent said there are no consequences for pupils who used violence against assistants. Schools needs to be safe places where children are able to learn and neither they nor their teachers feel at risk of attack (Picture: Christopher Furlong) | Getty Images Violence cannot go unpunished Keir Greenaway, a senior union organiser, said: 'Until the true nature and extent of school violence is properly understood and acknowledged, it will never be properly addressed. We need an honest conversation about what is happening, where it is happening and how to address it.' The union added that the 'presumption of mainstreaming' – a Scottish Government policy that encourages pupils with behavioural problems and other 'additional needs' to attend ordinary schools – had to be properly funded or it would fail both children and staff. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is past time for the Scottish Government to think again, given some children clearly need more help than it is possible for mainstream schools to provide. The risk is that children will take away the message that violence goes unpunished or can even get them what they want. Eventually, they will realise their mistake but this may only happen after some hideous tragedy. The Netflix drama Adolescence provided a chilling example of the consequences of allowing a culture of violence to develop among young people.
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Scottish Water staff plan seven-day strike after pay offer rejected
Scottish Water staff are to strike for another seven days after they rejected the latest pay offer. Workers represented by the GMB, Unite and Unison unions announced on Friday they have rejected a 3.4% pay increase, and will now take subsequent action 'to demand the fair deal they deserve'. Strikes will begin on Monday and will continue throughout the week, with the last day being Sunday June 8. It follows two prior days of industrial action in April. In a marginal majority, 51% of Unison workers employed by the water supplier voted to reject the pay offer, and 49% voted to accept. The turnout was 86%. GMB said 60% of its members voted against the offer, and 40% chose to accept, on a turnout of 78%. Unite's statistics were not available. Scottish Water said it had made a 'strong offer that is comfortably above inflation'. The upcoming strikes are expected to disrupt emergency repairs, testing and maintenance, and a joint union demonstration will take place outside Scottish Water's Shieldhall offices in Glasgow on Wednesday. Unison Scottish Water branch secretary Patricia McArthur said: 'Staff are extremely frustrated. They deserve better than game-playing by senior Scottish Water managers. 'The company seems more interested in spending public money on anti-union tactics than in finding a solution to this pay dispute. 'Its managers proposed a possible pay offer, but then retracted it, only to come up with something much worse.' Unison Scotland regional manager Simon Macfarlane added: 'The latest pay offer falls far short of what other public sector workers in Scotland have received. Scottish Water staff will now form picket lines across the country to demand the fair deal they deserve.' GMB Scotland accused Scottish Water bosses of making the strikes an inevitability after pay talks faltered. Claire Greer, GMB Scotland organiser in Scottish Water, has now written to Gillian Martin, the acting Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, detailing concern about the dispute. She said: 'Doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result is both the definition of madness and Scottish Water's idea of industrial relations. 'The company has allowed these negotiations to stumble on for months when a simple, transparent and fair pay offer would have been welcomed by our members and averted industrial action. 'Scottish Water's refusal to engage with negotiations in a serious and uncomplicated way has led us here and, unless that changes, the dispute will continue and industrial action will escalate.' Sam Ritchie, industrial officer for Unite, said: 'Unite's 500-strong membership at Scottish Water have overwhelmingly rejected the latest wage offer. It only amounted to an extra £250 over two years, which is unacceptable. ' Management also withdrew an offer to increase a performance-related bonus which could boost pay by a further £200, which has further infuriated the workforce. Over nine months Scottish Water has had the opportunity to make a fair and reasonable offer to our members, and they have consistently refused to do so. 'The chief executive, Alex Plant, has refused to become involved in pay negotiations while walking away with a publicly funded remuneration package totalling £483,000.' Scottish Water says it made the pay offer in line with the unions' recommendations. Chief operating officer Peter Farrer said: 'There is no need for next week's industrial action to go ahead. 'Scottish Water has made a strong offer that is comfortably above inflation. 'It is now time for the unions to come forward with a proposal that is fair for workers, customers, and the future of the business. 'We're ready to meet at any time this weekend. It is in everyone's interests to avoid next week's strike. 'If it goes ahead, those who take part in the industrial action will lose valuable wages and an essential service will be put under unnecessary pressure. 'In the meantime, we have robust plans in place to maintain essential services should the trade unions press ahead with their strike action.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Ministers have set out their policy in relation to public sector pay. 'It is a matter for Scottish Water and its Unions to agree a settlement within the constraints of that policy and affordability. 'The Scottish Government urges both parties to resume negotiations to find an agreement.'
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Susanna Reid's award-winning red midi dress is now on sale with £60 off
Susanne Reid wore a flattering fitted red midi dress to accept her recent award win, and it's currently on sale at LK Bennett with a huge £60 off Fans have been congratulating Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid after she scooped the Outstanding Achievement Award from MHP 30 To Watch last night. As well as thanking her GMB team, Susanna also shared the details of her outfit with fans on Instagram, which included a stunning fitted red midi dress that flattered her figure. Unlike other awards shows which require sweeping gowns only fit for a red carpet, the MHP awards ceremony had a much more wearable dress code that we can all get on board with. For the event Susanna wore LK Bennett's Altyn Shaped Seam Fitted Crepe Dress, which was just the right balance of formal and easy to wear. Susanna's LK Bennett dress is usually priced at £299, but it's currently on sale with £60 off, slashing the price to £239. Although she opted for the bold red shade, the Altyn Fitted Crepe Dress also comes in black, making it the perfect little black dress. Although it was ideal for the formal awards setting, Susanna's midi dress could just as easily be worn for the office with a pair of heels or loafers and a blazer, or as an understated and elegant outfit for parties and events. The square neckline, long sleeves and midi length keep it modest and work appropriate, so you can easily take it from meetings to dinner without needing to change. Despite its hefty discount the dress is currently still available in all sizes from a 6 to a 20, with only the size 4 currently out of stock. It's made from a recycled stretch crepe that makes it form fitting and figure flattering, and fastens with a hidden back zip. If you're looking for something similar that feels a little more events-ready, the Vesper Bengaline Fishtail Midi Dress is £62 at ASOS and has a similar form-flattering fit and bold red colour, with a square neckline. However the Vesper dress is sleeveless with wide straps, rather than long sleeved, and has a fishtail hemline that adds a little drama and movement. Meanwhile at Debenhams you can get the Orange Square Neck Long Sleeve Ruched Bodycon Mesh Midi Dress for a more affordable £50, although it's only stocked in sizes 8 to 16. It has ruched detailing that accentuates your curves, a square neckline and long sleeves with a similar fitted silhouette. Those on a tight budget should also check out Joe Browns' Make A Statement Stretch Red Dress, which is on sale down from £55 to £35. Coming in a similar bold red shade to Susanna's dress, it has a stretchy bodycon fit and midi hemline, with an asymmetric neckline and long sleeves. However if you want to snap up Susanna's exact look, you can save £60 on the Altyn Fitted Crepe Dress at LK Bennett now.
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
Made in Chelsea star Sam Vanderpump has health anxiety after sepsis ordeal
Made in Chelsea star Sam Vanderpump has said he is dealing with anxiety about his health after a bout of sepsis. Made In Chelsea star Sam Vanderpump nearly died after suffering liver and kidney failure due to sepsis. Sam highlights the signs of sepsis that people should be aware of. — Good Morning Britain (@GMB) May 30, 2025 The TV personality and businessman previously revealed he was taken to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in December 2024 with sepsis, which was caused by the flu and led to liver and kidney failure. He said he lost around 15kg - and the experience inspired him to propose in March to his girlfriend, the model Alice Yaxley. Vanderpump told ITV's Good Morning Britain that when he first went to hospital in December, "they discharged me, and then I got an asthma attack, and they said I had this back pain due to the asthma attack", but the doctors could not figure out his illness. The reality star said he was shopping in London when he started becoming "dehydrated", and the next day it "got so bad, I had crusty lips. I was being delirious... she (his fiancée) went, 'I've got to get you into hospital'." Vanderpump went "from 24 hours before I was shopping in Selfridges, to 24 hours later, where the doctors were telling me I was going into liver and kidney failure". "I mean, physically, on the outside, I believe I'm back to normality. I lost 15 kilos - around that sort of mark - when I was ill, and I've managed to put on... nearly 10kg," he said. "I think [the] mental terms are very, very hard to deal with, the mental side of post-sepsis and being able to get back into normality, because you look fine on the outside, everyone else's lives go back to normal. "But [you are] dealing with [a] kind of health anxiety." Vanderpump - who has the rare conditions congenital hepatic fibrosis of the liver and polycystic kidney disease, which can lead to kidney failure - also said that knowing that the main sepsis symptom for him was the high temperature, meant he became concerned about Yaxley when she was recently ill. "My girlfriend, fiancée, got an infection recently where she's got a high temperature, and I'm rushing her to go see a doctor, because I just want to get her treated," he said. He added that if people are concerned about "normal symptoms like the flu, breathlessness, just a little bit of aches and pains, high temperature", they should see a GP and urge them to consider sepsis. Vanderpump has become an ambassador at the charity UK Sepsis Trust, which says the condition causes "nearly 80,000 people each year [to] suffer life-changing after-effects in the UK, with 82% of sepsis survivors experiencing post-sepsis syndrome more than a year after hospital discharge, and 18% left permanently unable to work". The reality star, who began appearing on the Channel 4 reality show Made in Chelsea last year, runs finance companies in the UK and Dubai and was previously a racing driver. He is the nephew of Lisa Vanderpump, known for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and her own spin-off programmes such as Vanderpump Rules.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Brighton's Bin Mafia: How secret war by 'insurgent' waste collectors have seen death threats, tyres slashed and cache of weapons uncovered
A secret war being waged in plain sight in Brighton by bin collectors has resulted in employees receiving death threats, having their tyres slashed and a cache of weapons being uncovered. A row has been ongoing for at least 18 months at a council-run waste disposal site, with Brighton and Hove Council bosses accusing the GMB union of protecting 'insurgent' employees who create a 'toxic' environment. A group of workers have been accused of using 'bully boy tactics' in a falling out which has left residents with up to eight weeks worth of rubbish left outside their homes. Amid the terrifying militancy developing in the town, waste disposal vehicles are said to have been repeatedly sabotaged with wires cut and even being set on fire, with perpetrators leaving chilling threats behind. One employee received a death threat as recently as January - more than a year after an initial report found instances of bullying, intimidation, racism, sexism and homophobia across Hollingdean bin depot in November 2023. Someone even slashed the tyres of a waste-depot manager, before leaving a message in block capitals on the vehicle stating: 'Leave the case alone. Brakes next. Nice dogs by the way.' Staff members have been left with PTSD and have been victim to 'ongoing intimidatory acts both in the workplace and at managers' homes', a report published this month revealed. It comes after new figures revealed missed bin collections increased by 140 percent from 573 to 1,369 between December and April, despite a council tax increase of 4.99 percent for this year. This means the average Band D home is now being charged £2,455 - £200 more than in 2024. Allegations of a 'toxic' workplace at Hollingdean first emerged after a cache of deadly weapons was found inside an office at the site in 2023, including knives, nunchucks, baseball bats and a samurai sword. A three-month investigation ordered by the council and carried out by Aileen McColgan KC found instances of bullying, intimidation, racism, sexism and homophobia across the site. Summarising her key findings, Ms McColgan said she interviewed 70 witnesses who described a group of around ten 'white men' who were 'particularly protected by the GMB reps within the Council'. She found that individuals described managers as 'c***s', 'w*****s' and 'a f***ing b**** pulling the strings' and sexually harassed female employees. She also stated that incidents of racial harassment against colleagues included racist name calling and graffiti left around the depot, and homophobic abuse that included catfishing gay employees on dating app Grindr. One gay employee told the investigation that he was constantly the subject of homophobic 'banter' and that a lot of staff on the site refused to work with him due to his sexuality. Interviewees described the work atmosphere as akin to George Orwell's Animal Farm and working in fear of physical violence. Ms McColgan found that by 2017, 'bullying behaviours had become normalised' at the site, including by GMB reps, and that 'GMB reps with the Council have failed to cooperate'. Commenting on the alleged behaviour of one GMB rep at the site, she listed a string of incidents including threatening to stab workers, bringing weapons to work and showing them to staff, and other threats of violence. They were also said to have asked potential employees if they would 'grass up racists' and sexually harassed women, including by stating: 'Who would wanna f*** that?' GMB responded to the report at the time by criticising it for not having spoken to those accused of misconduct and lacking the 'basic test of fairness'. Since the report was published, more than 40 staff have left Hollingdean but a recent spike in missed deliveries has left locals concerned. Recently vehicles have been sabotaged and a - now deleted - post by the GMB Brighton Sussex branch in February last year threatened to bring 'chaos' to the streets of Brighton. GMB said it was investigating the post. On February 9 2024, a bin collection vehicle was set on fire in what is believed to have been a deliberate act of sabotage. At the time, a council spokesperson said: 'Along with the two vehicles with cut wires, we've experienced an unprecedented and unexplained number of reported vehicle defects – which we suspect may be intentionally caused. 'We do have some spare vehicles, but not enough to maintain a full service in the face of the deliberate sabotage the service is experiencing.' And residents are once again left frustrated after repeated missed collections which have left the streets strewn with litter and waste. Mark Earthey, an independent councillor for Rottingdean and West Saltdean, told the Telegraph that roads in his ward were sometimes missed for eight weeks at a time. 'I have residents who are partially sighted, or have mobility issues. They've been falling over rubbish and uncollected bins,' he said. 'People can't even get in and out of their own homes because of bins in the road or pathways. It's been total meltdown.' In a statement on Twitter, GMB Sussex said it had 'ready with interest' recent media reports and 'condemns any action that would harm the health and safety of our members and to the public'. Gavin Davies, GMB Regional Secretary told MailOnline: 'Comments coming from Brighton & Hove City Council are extremely disappointing and very poorly timed. 'It's GMB's view that council leaders are seeking to blame a 2 year old report for failures in service rollout, which have worsened since the report, not improved, and the blame for which needs to lie with the council leadership. 'That being said, GMB continues to try to forge a positive working relationship with the council against the backdrop of multiple problems, not least the millions owed to women employees who have been systematically underpaid over many years. 'It's frustrating our attempts to work with the council on issues such as equal pay keep falling on deaf ears.' In a police update issued last week, a spokesperson for Sussex Police confirmed reported offences from 2023 to 2025 include criminal damage, possession of offensive weapons, harassment, arson, and further serious offences. They added that all the incidents reported to Sussex Police remain under continual review and are forming part of a wider investigation that remains ongoing. Chief Superintendent Rachel Carr, divisional commander for Brighton and Hove, said: 'The matters that have been reported to us are of a very serious and concerning nature. 'We have ensured appropriate resource is in place to conduct thorough investigations into all reported incidents and would urge any witnesses or anyone with information relating to these matters to come forward. 'A previous statement issued by the force on this matter inaccurately implied that all investigations had concluded and we apologise for this and any distress caused.' Due to operational reasons, specific details on some investigations are limited at this time. Further updates will be published when appropriate. Anyone with information relating to the investigation is asked to report online or by calling 101 quoting Operation Senate.
