Latest news with #UnitetheUnion
Daily Record
2 days ago
- 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.
ITV News
3 days ago
- ITV News
Birmingham bin workers back to frustrating lorries at depot in strike escalation
Striking bin workers are back to frustrating agency lorries in Birmingham as the number of police on the picket lines has been cut. A group of Unite the Union members formed a human chain at Lifford Household recycling centre in Kings Norton, this morning (May 16th). Striking refuse workers, slowing down contracted refuse collectors by walking in front of their lorries, was a regular sight at the start of Birmingham's bin strikes, but recently they've left the depots alone. That was because the police had used powers from Section 14 of the Public Order Act to make sure that agency lorries could drive out unobstructed. Those powers are no longer in place, so the striking bin workers returned to frustrating the council. The bin lorries weren't able to leave the depot and instead just approached the bin workers' picket line before reversing back inside the depot. The striking workers have said they would be happy to let the lorries out of the depot, but they aren't even trying to get out of the gates. Birmingham City Council said that the reduction in police officers on the picket lines mean't that the gates of three of their depots were blocked. On a post on X, they wrote: "Unfortunately, actions by pickets at our 3 depots have meant very few of our waste lorries have been deployed this morning. "This will affect the amount of collections we are able to make. Please leave your bins out, and we will collect them as soon as possible. "This may be over the weekend. We apologise for the disruption." Members of Unite have been on all-out strike for more than two months in a bitter dispute over pay and jobs. The conciliation service Acas is involved in trying to achieve a breakthrough but despite a number of meetings, the dispute remains deadlocked. Bin collections were also disrupted yesterday, on Thursday, May 15th, as striking workers also blocked depots. The city council issued a statement warning of fresh delays to collections. It said: 'Actions by pickets at two of our depots have meant very few of our waste lorries have been deployed this morning. 'People have the right to strike but those that want to work should be allowed to do so. We also want to ensure that the situation is safe for everyone, which has to be a priority for us. 'Unfortunately, delays this morning will affect the amount of collections we are able to make. 'We will continue to look at all options to ensure we can get trucks out and keep the streets clean.' A Unite spokesperson said: 'The council's claims are an attempt to blame workers on legal, safe and peaceful picket lines for the disruption to services it has caused through its huge and unnecessary pay cuts.'
ITV News
01-05-2025
- Climate
- ITV News
Birmingham bin strike: how could the heatwave impact your rubbish?
Central Birmingham bin strikes Health Weather The situation might be improving, but piles of rubbish still remain on the streets of Birmingham. The strike is now in its eighth week, with talks expected tomorrow (Thursday 1 May) between Unite the Union and Birmingham City Council, with mediators ACAS present. As those negotiations happen, the UK is set to experience the warmest temperatures in 76 years. There are already fears about the public health risk associated with rats and bacteria from the bins, but the hot weather is set to exacerbate the problem. Waste disposal expert Dan Peakman from says heat can make bins smell worse, and increases the prescence of bacteria and rodents, as well as the risk of fires. Fires Speaking to ITV News Central, Dan said: 'The plastic that bins are made from isn't likely to catch fire just from sunlight unless it's under a glass roof or a plastic roof which might magnify the sun slightly. Usually they're just likely to melt or change shape slightly. 'Be careful putting paper, cardboard, any kind of fabric or anything that's combustible like aerosol cans - make sure you split up that kind of waste." Dan is encouraging people to find a shady spot to store bins. 'If you know that the hottest point of the day is roughly around 2pm or if the sun comes in from a particular direction, then put your bin round the side of the house. 'If you're lucky to have a storage unit or something with a cover on, sticking that over will stop that direct sunlight, the same way we sit in the shade when it gets too hot.' Bad smells and bacteria In regular waste bins, heat and humidity can create a breeding ground for bacteria. It can also create bad smells, as heat speeds up the decomposition process and results in odor-causing molecules becoming more volatile. Dan says: 'The bin itself is easy to clean. Sometimes just spraying it down with a hose, or just get a kettle out there to run some water into it. Maybe some fairy liquid or bleach just to try and kill those smells and get rid of the bacteria every couple of weeks. 'Ensure that you're cleaning out tins and plastic containers when you recycle. 'You've also got to be conscious of not leaving your food waste bin outside all the time. Most likely it's flies that are going to be attracted to the food." Pests and rodents Dan says bad smells can attract pests and rodents - like flies and rats. He says: 'Sticking something heavy on top on your bin is going to detract pests, and if you can keep the bins away from your driveway or curbside until the night before, that's the ideal solution. 'If you have it out on your street, that's a bit of a buffet for the rodents coming up and down the street.' "Bins lids need to be closed and rubbish properly bagged up" Birmingham City Council told ITV News Central: "Since the council declared a major incident on 31 March we have been able to deploy our fleet in full and on time. We have now removed all excess waste and returned to scheduled collections within our contingency plan for household waste, meaning one collection per week per household. "We have repurposed between 40 and 60 housing and street cleansing vehicles and deployed multiple 'grab trucks' to clear large rubbish piles each day, prioritising 15 of the most affected hotspot wards. "Residents are encouraged to put out their rubbish on their collection day as usual. Bin lids need to be closed and rubbish needs to be properly bagged up. Those that can, can also make use of our Household Recycling Centres, which have extended opening times."
The Herald Scotland
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Warning Scotland's education system 'teeters on edge of collapse'
The letter to Scotland's minister for higher and further education Graeme Dey MSP has been written by NUS Scotland president Sai Shraddha S Viswanathan and is signed by representatives from the STUC, Unite the Union, EIS, UCU and Unison. They say that the Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill, which was published at Holyrood in February, is a critical opportunity to reshape the future of post-16 education in Scotland and demand to be at the heart of shaping it. It comes as some Scottish universities are coming under financial pressure from rising costs and reduced income from international students. READ MORE: Councillors agree new name for relocated high school Study suggests children being let down by knowledge gaps around opioids Attainment gap widens but 95.7 per cent of school leavers in 'positive destination' The letter says that the country's institutions have been forced to rely on 'precarious international student fees' for too long and calls for a sustainable funding model. Ms Viswanathan said: 'The Scottish Government must use the opportunities ahead to address the serious crises being faced by both universities and colleges across Scotland, which are a result of systemic underfunding. 'The livelihoods of dedicated educators, researchers, and support workers are being put at risk and students are paying the price, with learning conditions deteriorating and support services being slashed. 'This is not just about numbers on a balance sheet – it is about people's futures, their jobs, their education, and their lives. 'It is about Scotland's ability to be a world leader in education. 'It is about whether we believe in an accessible, high-quality, well-funded education system or whether we are content to let it collapse in front of us. 'We refuse to let our universities and colleges be decimated by inaction and political neglect. 'Education is the backbone of our society. Without it, we all suffer.' The Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill aims to simplify the funding system for both college and university students and apprentices. The letter comes as the Scottish Government prepares to announce its 2025 Programme for Government next week. Edinburgh University is one of those which has been facing financial difficulties. The institution announced earlier this year that it would have to cut £140 million from its budget to plug a black hole, with job cuts likely. Principal professor Sir Peter Mathieson last month announced that the university's voluntary severance scheme had concluded and around 350 staff had opted for voluntary redundancy. Staff at the institution are being balloted over strike action. Elsewhere staff at the University of Dundee have backed industrial action after the employer said there could be up to 700 redundancies as it struggles to deal with a £35 million deficit. The Scottish Government has been asked for comment about the letter.
Glasgow Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Students and trade unions call for action on education ‘crisis'
They warned that the country's higher and further education sectors 'teeter on the edge of collapse' and called for immediate structural change. The letter to Scotland's minister for higher and further education Graeme Dey MSP has been written by NUS Scotland president Sai Shraddha S Viswanathan and is signed by representatives from the STUC, Unite the Union, EIS, UCU and Unison. They say that the Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill, which was published at Holyrood in February, is a critical opportunity to reshape the future of post-16 education in Scotland and demand to be at the heart of shaping it. It comes as some Scottish universities are coming under financial pressure from rising costs and reduced income from international students. The letter says that the country's institutions have been forced to rely on 'precarious international student fees' for too long and calls for a sustainable funding model. Ms Viswanathan said: 'The Scottish Government must use the opportunities ahead to address the serious crises being faced by both universities and colleges across Scotland, which are a result of systemic underfunding. 'The livelihoods of dedicated educators, researchers, and support workers are being put at risk and students are paying the price, with learning conditions deteriorating and support services being slashed. 'This is not just about numbers on a balance sheet – it is about people's futures, their jobs, their education, and their lives. 'It is about Scotland's ability to be a world leader in education. 'It is about whether we believe in an accessible, high-quality, well-funded education system or whether we are content to let it collapse in front of us. 'We refuse to let our universities and colleges be decimated by inaction and political neglect. 'Education is the backbone of our society. Without it, we all suffer.' The Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill aims to simplify the funding system for both college and university students and apprentices. The letter comes as the Scottish Government prepares to announce its 2025 Programme for Government next week. Edinburgh University is one of those which has been facing financial difficulties. The institution announced earlier this year that it would have to cut £140 million from its budget to plug a black hole, with job cuts likely. Principal professor Sir Peter Mathieson last month announced that the university's voluntary severance scheme had concluded and around 350 staff had opted for voluntary redundancy. Staff at the institution are being balloted over strike action. Elsewhere staff at the University of Dundee have backed industrial action after the employer said there could be up to 700 redundancies as it struggles to deal with a £35 million deficit. The Scottish Government has been asked for comment about the letter.
