Latest news with #Unite
BBC News
11 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Stagecoach North East strike 'huge disruption' warning
Hundreds of bus workers are set to take strike action next month which could cause "significant disruption" during the summer holidays, their union 600 Unite members working at Stagecoach North East have voted to walk out after rejecting a 3.3% pay rise including drivers, cleaners and engineers at Busways Travel Services, which is part of the Stagecoach group, were offered the rise which Unite says is "well below the pay of those doing the same job in the north west".The BBC has approached Stagecoach for comment, but the company previously said it had made a "fair and responsible pay offer in line with the Consumer Prices Index". Strikes are planned for Monday 11, Tuesday 12, Monday 18 and Thursday 21 August. 'Deserve better' Figures from last year show Stagecoach recorded a total operating profit of £51.1m - up from £33.1m - and a profit before taxation of £47.6m, Unite secretary Sharon Graham said: "Stagecoach is prioritising profits over people and our hardworking members deserve better."The hourly pay for drivers in the North East is £15.01 per hour. Among those who voted for strike action are 500 members based at the Slatyford and Walkergate depots in Newcastle upon Tyne, including drivers. The majority of passenger bus services to and from Newcastle city centre operate from these than 80 engineers and cleaners based in Newcastle, Sunderland and South Shields, will take strike action at the same time. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
The worst wreckers of Birmingham? The judges
Forty years after the defeat of the miners saw mass picketing discredited and disowned by the union movement itself, it has returned to the streets of Britain. It came in support of the ongoing strike by refuse collectors in Birmingham, with the aim of ensuring that residents' nightmare conditions, living just yards away from filthy, rat-infested piles of uncollected waste, will not end without victory for the unions. 'Mass picketing is back. The trade union movement has shown it is at its most powerful when it acts together. Workers supporting workers,' said Henry Fowler, co-founder of the Strike Map Group, which organised the 'Five sites, one day' picket involving 26 organisations from across the trade union movement, including the RMT, ASLEF, NEU, NASUWT, and the BMA. The strike is, of course, being supported by Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader and now leader of a new hard-Left party that has yet to be named. Last week he was in Birmingham to address protesters outside Atlas Depot in Tyseley, where the gates were shut due to the demonstration. There are so many villains in the tale of how Birmingham, second city of the Empire, became such an eyesore and modern embarrassment to the country. The strike by refuse workers is in its fifth month and has resulted in a plague of rats and maggots across the city as an estimated 17,000 tons of domestic waste go uncollected. So the trade union Unite and its members must take at least some responsibility. Then there is the city council itself, whose incompetent handling of Birmingham's finances – an example of which was last year's revelation that it wasted £90m on a botched IT system – has been painful to watch. And then of course there is the UK Labour government which is only too keen to blame everything that's going wrong in Birmingham, not on the city's own leadership and certainly not on those hard-working Unite members who also happen to contribute part of their salaries to the Labour Party, but to '14 years of Tory austerity'. But the main culprit in all of this, the central villain, is none other than our misinformed and meddling judges. The reason the council has been left with a potential £760m liability, which it is now striving to manage with unpopular changes to refuse collectors' staffing and conditions, is that the courts made an absurd ruling last year that the jobs of teaching assistant, cleaner and bin collector are all 'similar'. And according to Britain's employment law, work done by men and women in 'similar' posts cannot be paid different salaries. The problem is that teaching assistants and cleaners tend to be women and refuse collectors men, and historically, the men who emptied the bins were paid more. Perhaps if a judge were to consider which of those jobs was the most unpleasant, which one he or she would rather not do if they found themselves turfed off the bench tomorrow, then they might have drawn a different conclusion. Unpleasant though essential jobs tend to come with higher financial compensation in order to attract enough recruits. How any judge can conclude that refuse collection and teaching assistance are similar is a mystery that may remain unsolved. The legal ramifications, however, are much clearer than their honours' logic and the only way the council can make ends meet is to start cutting costs. And that includes its budget for refuse collection. With so many culprits responsible for the national embarrassment that has consumed Birmingham, it should be no surprise that none of them is actually willing to take any blame whatsoever.
The National
2 days ago
- Business
- The National
John Swinney hints at rescue package to save Alexander Dennis jobs
The Scottish Government has today confirmed it is looking at a rescue package it thinks could save jobs at Alexander Dennis – but said details were being kept under wraps due to 'commercial sensitivity'. The firm has threatened to end its manufacturing operations in Scotland by closing its sites in Larbert and Falkirk, putting 400 jobs on the line. It is planning to centralise its operations in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. In a statement, Swinney indicated that a package of new work to keep jobs in Scotland was being explored. READ MORE: Protesters to slam SNP's £180,000 cash award to Donald Trump golf course He said: 'Scottish Ministers place the utmost importance on the presence of Alexander Dennis in Scotland and the retention of its highly skilled manufacturing workers. 'The Scottish Government has committed to exploring any and all viable options throughout the consultation period to allow the firm to retain its skilled employees and manufacturing and production facilities. 'While I cannot provide details due to commercial sensitivity at this time, I hope this update provides the workforce and local community with further assurance that the Scottish Government remains wholly committed to supporting the future of bus manufacturing in Scotland. 'We will undertake this work in tandem with every other short, medium and long-term opportunity we continue to explore in close collaboration with the company, Unite, GMB, Scottish Enterprise, Transport Scotland and the UK Government.' Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes is meeting unions GMB and Unite to discuss the proposal while [[Transport]] Secretary Fiona Hyslop attends a meeting of the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel in London focusing on the future pipeline of zero-emission bus orders. READ MORE: Trans toilet rules 'may force Scottish museums to close' It was reported earlier this month that a consultation with the workforce on job losses would be extended for another fortnight to explore ways of keeping jobs in Scotland. There have also been proposals to put staff on a furlough scheme to retain jobs in Scotland before work on new orders came in. Unite's regional secretary for Scotland Derek Thomson previously told a Holyrood committee that the closure of Alexander Dennis's Scottish operations would be "catastrophic" for the local area. The threat of closure has already spilled into the Scottish economy, with Greenfold Systems Ltd, based in Dunfermline, Fife, closing because a major proportion of its operations were involved with the troubled bus firm. A total of 81 jobs were lost after the "loss of a major contract", administrators said. The threatened closure has become a major political issue, with Scottish Labour accusing the SNP of failing to do enough to support the firm. Anas Sarwar has repeatedly criticised John Swinney of having done "nothing" to save jobs, pointing out that the [[SNP]] were ordering "buses from China, instead of from Scotland". But it later emerged that in Labour-run Edinburgh, where the buses are municipally owned by the council, had not bought buses from Alexander Dennis in the last three years.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Private jet and match tickets: McCluskey in the spotlight after Unite's internal report
In June 2019, one of Britain's most powerful union bosses, Len McCluskey, was spotted at one of Madrid's finest hotels enjoying a discreet drink in the sunshine with Jeremy Corbyn's then chief of staff, Karie Murphy. McCluskey had flown by private jet from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to watch the Champions League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool. An avid Liverpool supporter, he watched his team win 2-0. McCluskey strongly denied at the time that he was in a relationship with Murphy, with legal threats issued over suggestions they were a couple. The union boss finally admitted the relationship with one of the key figures in Corbyn's team, in his 2021 autobiography Always Red. 'We engaged the press in a game of cat and mouse, getting Howard Beckett [Unite's head of legal] to use his legal genius to knock out gossipy stories,' he wrote. 'We wanted our relationship to be kept private, away from the public gaze.' But there was a more serious question about the Spanish jaunt, which goes to the heart of McCluskey's decade at the helm of Unite, one of Britain's biggest unions. Who picked up the bill? In a forensic 61-page interim report published by Unite on Tuesday, it was alleged that the Liverpool firm building a hotel and conference centre for the union had paid for the match ticket and arranged the private flight for McCluskey and Murphy. It was among a number of football games the firm had arranged for the union boss to watch. According to the report, there was 'no indication' that McCluskey had reimbursed the Flanagan Group, the hotel contractor. McCluskey's lawyers told the BBC last week that he paid for his own travel in full and, as far as he could recollect, paid the cost of his football tickets. A legal representative for Murphy said she paid for her own travel, did not attend the match and was not staying in Madrid with McCluskey. In 2022, Tortoise, now the owner of The Observer, put to McCluskey the allegation that he had flown to Madrid for the match on a private jet courtesy of the Flanagan Group. At that time, McCluskey responded that this and other allegations were 'intended to damage my reputation', 'intentionally false' and 'malicious'. The new report alleges that McCluskey had described the directors of the Flanagan Group as 'good friends'. By June 2019, the month of McCluskey's trip to Spain, the project's costs were spiralling out of control. According to the report, Unite spent at least £72m more on building the complex than it is now worth. It is alleged there was £30m of overcharging by the Flanagan Group. McCluskey stepped down as the union's general secretary in August 2021, several months before his term of office was due to end. Sharon Graham succeeded McCluskey at Unite, which is Labour's biggest union funder. Gerard Coyne, Unite's former regional secretary in the West Midlands, who twice stood for the union leadership, said: 'This is one of the biggest financial scandals in union history and I feel overwhelming relief that a light has been shone on this terrible episode. 'It's gobsmacking that an organisation that had a turnover of more than £170m a year had no proper checks and balances on financial spend and accountability. There was a shocking and systematic misuse of union members' money.' The hotel development, a short stroll from Birmingham city centre, was intended to save the union money and initially conceived as an 185-room hotel and conference centre to be used by members. It became a costly white elephant, and its construction is now being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office. A company called Blackhorse HCC was set up in 2016 to manage the project, with the report detailing how McCluskey signed off the accounts each year as the bills racked up. The firm is believed to be named after a pub next to the hotel and was run with limited oversight. According to Unite's report, three of its directors claim they were not told they were on the board until 2020. 'Money left our union when it should not have. I will do everything in my power to get it back' Flanagan Group was appointed despite allegations of delays and cost overruns on previous Unite projects. 'Len McCluskey signed the contracts,' states the report. '[He] overruled Unite staff who raised questions about the firm, and overruled lawyers who advised against the contracts.' Flanagan Group submitted bills throughout the project that were 'massively over the original estimates', according to the report. They include £1.3m that the firm billed to drill holes in the walls. This work was estimated to cost £90,000. When interviewed over the fiasco by a lawyer appointed by Unite to investigate, McCluskey cast blame on Ed Sabisky, the union's former finance chief, the report claims. He told the lawyer that it was Sabisky's decision to appoint the Flanagan Group. McCluskey said he delegated 'the entire management of the project' to Sabisky and relied on him to ensure what he signed was 'suitable and appropriate'. He said he was only told by Sabisky about the overspend at the end of 2019. Sabisky died in March 2020 after a stroke. Tuesday's report raises questions over McCluskey's account. Sabisky, a former finance director for Vauxhall Motors, was a popular figure in the union. According to an official quoted in the report, he had been '100%' against engaging Flanagan Group. When Sabisky began criticising Flanagan Group for delays on the project in July 2017, McCluskey emailed: 'I want the finger of blame approach stopped.' The report states that McCluskey signed formal building contracts the following month. His lawyers said last week he does not recall signing the main hotel contract. Graham commissioned an independent valuation of the hotel project, which concluded it had cost the union at least £110m, but was worth only £38m. There has been a write-down of £66m in the union's 2021 accounts. 'Money left our union when it should not have,' Sharon Graham said last week. 'I will do everything in my power to get our money back.' The interim report details the online harassment Graham has been subjected to since launching the investigation. Lawyers acting on behalf of McCluskey told The Observer he was 'deeply disappointed' by the statements and report published by Unite. They said the allegations published about him were 'categorically rejected by him as inaccurate, selective and highly misleading', and that it would be inappropriate of McCluskey to comment in detail because of an ongoing investigation. Flanagan Group has been approached for comment. It has previously said there were many reasons for the increased costs of the project, including radical changes to the design and working practices, that the scheme was delivered fairly and it should be regarded as an 'exceptional asset' for the union. Photographs by CRHA/Backgrid, Andy Hall/The Observer and Nick Maslen/Alamy
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Birmingham bin strike council new chief's scented sideline selling £46 candles
Newly-appointed £1,200-a-day lead commissioner Tony McArdle owns a boutique selling posh homeware - but 'sensual' candle disappeared from website this week after we spotted them Embattled Birmingham council's new boss has been selling £46 scented candles – as the city has grappled with the stench of a long-running bin strike. Tony McArdle faces a mountain of rubbish to climb after being made lead commissioner of the cash-strapped city council this week. But we can reveal how the £1,200-a-day chief seems to already have his hands full with a side hustle – owning a boutique flogging posh homeware. We discovered the government-appointed boss co-owns Santa Maria, which offers wellbeing goods, with his wife. Among items we found on sale this week were £46 Berry Voyage and Rose Republic scented candles. A product description for the former boasted: 'Sensual and heady, Berry Voyage captures intrepid expeditions in the Adriatic, arboretum gardens and coastal reveries. The fresh notes of sun-ripened fruit berries, green Sichuan pepper berries and exotic Stargazer lily petals perfectly balanced by rich and purifying elements of Palo Santo.' By sharp contrast, this week it emerged fly-tipping reports in Birmingham have nearly doubled since industrial action – with enforcement teams stretched to capacity. Members of Unite have been on an all-out strike since March in a dispute over pay, leading to bags of rubbish piling up across the city's streets. Last month it was reported many have complained the heatwave worsened the situation in the city. The stench from overflowing bins was said to be forcing some to put extra bags around already-bagged rubbish in a bid to contain the smell. One resident told the BBC: 'My neighbour can't open her windows because the piles of rubbish are near where she lives, and the flies, it's a fly-fest." And another added: 'We have to hold our nose every time we step out [of the house].' Meanwhile, a social media post by Santa Maria earlier this year said: 'Welcome to Santa Maria Boutique, where timeless elegance meets modern wellbeing. From beautifully curated homeware to luxury holiday essentials, every piece in our boutique is carefully selected to bring a touch of indulgence into your life. Think European-inspired kimonos, artisan skincare, hand-poured candles, and stylish sunglasses—the perfect combination of sophistication and relaxation. Whether you're shopping for a special piece or just want to browse, our boutique is your destination for elevated living." Other items we found this week for sale online at Santa Maria – which has a website and shop in Lincoln – included £28 lanterns, £43 gemstone lights and £45 throws. In the wellbeing section, goods included £79 purity paste, £18 vanilla afterglow solid perfume balm and £70 wake-up droplets. But some of Santa Maria's products, including the candles, later disappeared from the shop's website after we spotted them this week. Santarosa Ltd, understood to be the firm behind Santa Maria, is owned by Mr McArdle and his wife via Priora Consulting Ltd. Mr McArdle said: 'Alongside my wife, I am listed as the Director of a small business based in Lincoln. This is my wife's business, and I am not involved in its day-to-day operation.' Birmingham City Council declared effective bankruptcy in 2023, with government commissioners brought in to run it. A council spokesperson said: "Tony McCardle is a well-respected figure in local government, with experience in interventions including as the Lead Commissioner in Nottingham and Chair of the London Borough of Croydon Improvement and Assurance Panel, but has also served as Chief Executive of Lincolnshire County Council and Wellingborough Council. We are very keen to continue the pace of progress and ensure it does not slow down during the change. We look forward to working closely with him in the months ahead." The council added: '...since the council secured a court order on 23 May to prevent picketers from blocking vehicles from leaving the depots, we have been able to deploy our contingency for waste collection. This contingency for waste collection has been broadly held since 23 May, with residents receiving a waste collection once per week. The initial backlog of waste caused by strike action has been cleared.' A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'Tony McArdle OBE brings a range of experience to the role of lead commissioner at Birmingham City Council, having been a well-respected council chief executive who also led interventions at other authorities. The department has established processes in place to manage conflicts of interests, and we are confident Tony is the best person for this role and will make a significant contribution to Birmingham's ongoing improvement. Our priority is to continue supporting the council in its recovery, including assisting with the successful efforts to keep the city's streets clean amid the ongoing industrial action.'
