Latest news with #UniteUnion
The Independent
40 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Bin workers in Birmingham vote to continue strikes over pay and jobs
Unite has warned that the Birmingham bin dispute could last until December after workers voted to continue industrial action in a long-running dispute over jobs and pay. The union said its members voted by 97% in favour of strike action on a 75% turnout. Strikes began in January after Unite said the council told the bin workers they would face pay cuts of up to £8,000 – a quarter of their wages for some. Talks have been held under the chairmanship of the conciliation service Acas but the dispute remains deadlocked. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'After smearing these workers in public since January and telling them to accept a fair and reasonable offer that never existed, the council finally put a proposal in writing last week. 'True to form, the proposal came weeks late and was not in line with the ballpark offer discussed during Acas talks in May. 'It had been watered down by the government commissioners and the leader of the council despite them never having been in the negotiations. 'It beggars belief that a Labour government and Labour council is treating these workers so disgracefully. It is hardly surprising that so many working people are asking whose side Labour is on. 'The decision-makers at Birmingham council need to get in the room and put forward an acceptable offer. Unite will not allow these workers to be financially ruined – the strikes will continue for as long as it takes. 'Unite calls on the decision-makers to let common sense prevail in upcoming negotiations.' A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: 'This is a service that needs to be transformed to one that citizens of Birmingham deserve and the council remains committed to resolving this dispute. 'We have made a fair and reasonable offer that we have asked Unite to put to their members and we are awaiting their response.' The council denied that the leader or the Commissioners had watered down any offer. It added that Unite's ballot was not a response to the council's latest offer that made through Acas.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Birmingham bin strikes ‘could last until Christmas'
Unite has warned that the Birmingham bin dispute could last until December after workers voted to continue industrial action. The union said its members voted 97 per cent in favour of strike action on a 75 per cent turnout. Strikes began in January after Unite claimed Birmingham city council told the bin workers they would face pay cuts of up to £8,000 – a quarter of their wages for some. Talks have been held via the conciliation service Acas but the dispute remains deadlocked. Sharon Graham, the Unite general secretary, said a proposal the council sent in writing last week 'came weeks late and was not in the ballpark' of offers discussed during Acas talks in May. She added: 'After smearing these workers in public since January and telling them to accept a fair and reasonable offer that never existed, the council finally put a proposal in writing last week. 'True to form, the proposal came weeks late and was not in line with the ballpark offer discussed during Acas talks in May. 'It had been watered down by the Government commissioners and the leader of the council despite them never having been in the negotiations.' She said it was 'hardly surprising that so many working people are asking whose side Labour is on.' Ms Graham added: 'The decision-makers at Birmingham council need to get in the room and put forward an acceptable offer. Unite will not allow these workers to be financially ruined – the strikes will continue for as long as it takes. 'Unite calls on the decision-makers to let common sense prevail in upcoming negotiations.' Kevin Hollinrake MP, shadow local government secretary, said: 'It is yet more misery for residents of Birmingham at the hands of a Labour Party in hock to the unions. 'All Labour has done since they have got in is bend over backwards for the union barons who bankroll their party, but they still hold local residents to ransom. With the Employment Rights Bill looming and Angela Rayner on manoeuvres, it's a taste of things to come. 'It's about time Labour either ended this once and for all or apologised to hard-working residents affected by their gross incompetence.' Labour has previously been accused of 'sabotaging' talks to end the strikes as Unite alleged an offer was 'blocked' by Government-appointed commissioners. The commissioners were brought in by the previous Conservative government after the council declared itself effectively bankrupt in September 2023. A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'This will be disappointing news, especially for the city's residents. We urge Unite to suspend its industrial action so both parties can continue negotiating in good faith and bring this dispute to an end. 'We will continue to act to protect public health whenever necessary.'
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Glasgow subway staff to strike during Summer Sessions
Glasgow subway workers have voted for a series of strikes later this month which will disrupt the service during major music 24-hour walk-outs will take place during Summer Sessions at Bellahouston Park on 21, 25, 27 and 28 Unite union says train drivers and station staff feel "totally devalued and ignored" because of working conditions, and are often working 10 hours beyond their contracts or being asked to take shifts at short Partnership for Transport (SPT) said it is looking at what the action means for rail services. SPT director of transport operations Richard Robinson said: "While we are disappointed that Unite has chosen to take this action while we are still in active discussions, SPT remains committed to working with Unite to resolve all issues as we plan for future working arrangements for the subway."Members of Unite voted by 97.5% for strike action, with 100 workers taking dates coincide with four outdoor gigs at Bellahouston Park - the Sex Pistols during the Punk All Dayer festival on 21 June, Sting on 25 June, Simple Minds on 27 June and Stereophonics on 28 June.A continuous overtime ban will also be in place from 13 June. Unite says the subway system is "struggling" to operate due to chronic understaffing and that industrial action would cause "major disruption".The union has warned that strikes could escalate over the summer unless working conditions secretary Sharon Graham said: "Unite's Glasgow subway members feel totally devalued and ignored. We will not tolerate our members being exhausted and underpaid. The subway system is running on empty."SPT has had every opportunity to resolve the chronic issues that have resulted in this dispute but have chosen not to act."The dispute centres on the working conditions of the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) workers as Unite claims the subway system is "struggling" to operate due to chronic understaffing.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Vodafone vows to invest more than £1bn in a year as it seals Three UK merger
Vodafone has promised to invest more than £1bn in expanding its network coverage in the next year, as it sealed a £16.5bn merger with its former mobile rival Three UK. The new business, named VodafoneThree, will invest £11bn in its coverage over the next decade, in line with commitments agreed with the UK competition regulator last year. It will invest £1.3bn in capital expenditure projects in its first year, the company said on Monday. The merger between Vodafone's domestic business and Three UK, which was first announced in 2023, represents the biggest shake-up in years in the British telecoms industry. It reduces the four main network operators to just three, alongside BT/EE and Virgin Media 02. The merger of the UK's third and fourth biggest operators will create a network with more than 27 million subscribers. While the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) initially warned that millions of customers could face higher bills as a result of the merger, it gave the deal the green light last year, subject to a set of legally binding commitments. The regulator dictated that the new company must spend £11bn on upgrading its combined network and commit to retaining certain existing mobile tariffs and data plans for at least three years, including on sub-brands. It also said the company must promise to upgrade 5G coverage and offer short-term customer protections against price rises. The Unite union had warned that the merger could lead to up to 1,600 job losses. However, Vodafone has rejected the figure, and said that the deal will ultimately lead to more jobs being created. VodafoneThree said the first year of its capital expenditure project will involve bringing in technology to enable 'multi operator core network (MOCN) functionality', which allows customers to access the other operator's network. The Vodafone group owns 51% of the new company, while Three UK's previously sole owner CK Hutchinson owns 49%. Margherita Della Valle, the Vodafone chief executive, said the merger will create a 'new force in UK mobile' and 'transform the country's digital infrastructure'. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion 'We are now eager to kick off our network build and rapidly bring customers greater coverage and superior network quality. The transaction completes the reshaping of Vodafone in Europe, and following this period of transition we are now well-positioned for growth ahead,' she added. Della Vale, who became chief executive in 2023, has been tasked with reviving the fortunes of the FTSE 100 company. She has now secured three big deals in the highly regulated industry in less than two years; the VodafoneThree merger follows the sale of two struggling businesses in Spain and Italy.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Union accuses Government commissioners of ‘sabotaging' bin-strike talks
The union at the centre of the long-running Birmingham bin strike has accused Government commissioners of 'sabotaging' talks aimed at resolving the dispute. Members of Unite have been on all-out strike for over two months in a row over pay and jobs, leading to bins piling up across the city. The conciliation service Acas has been involved in talks since the start of the month, but the dispute remains deadlocked. Unite said the talks set out a clear timeline for a discussed offer to be tabled by the council, but it claimed no offer has been made. Commissioners were brought in by the previous Conservative government after the council declared itself effectively bankrupt in September 2023. Unite said: 'What has become increasingly clear is that the offer is now being blocked by the Government commissions and the leader of the council, none of whom have ever been in the negotiating room. 'At the Acas talks, the council side was headed up for the first time by Birmingham council managing director Joanne Roney. She assured the meeting that she was the decision maker and at the table to negotiate. Discussions then took place in good faith. 'This latest debacle comes after it was confirmed that the 'fair and reasonable offer' that the Prime Minister, deputy prime minister and the leader of the council had been briefing to the press, urging Unite to accept, did not exist.' Unite said it had been asking for a copy of the offer since the start of the Acas talks, but was still waiting. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'Unite deals with thousands of negotiations every year. From the council side, the negotiations in this dispute have been a shambles, with the government right at the heart of it. 'The offer briefed to the press for all affected workers simply never existed and the new ballpark offer discussed at Acas has now been blocked by Government commissioners. Instead of trying to injunct picket lines and attack workers, the council leader should stop playing games, get in the room and solve this dispute. 'Birmingham city council's bin workers, residents and the public at large have all been lied to. 'The bottom line is that our members can't afford to have savage pay cuts of up to £8,000 with no mitigation. Until that issue is addressed the strikes will continue. 'If Labour is truly the party for workers, how can this Government be aiding and abetting these cuts and once again allowing workers and communities to pay the price?' Unite said in a statement: 'Talks aimed at resolving the Birmingham bin strike have been sabotaged by government commissioners.'
