October 2024 Round up
Welcome to the latest edition Unite the Union’s #JobsPayConditions LinkedIn newsletter.? With the new budget and Employment Rights Bill in place, our union is continuing to stand by workers in securing fair pay and decent conditions across the UK and Ireland. We’ll rounding up the news from October to give you highlights from the last few week’s wins, industrial actions and campaigns.
MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL SECRETARY
“It’s time to see practical action on jobs and skills. Our core issues. And that means investment. It’s a good thing that the Government said it will loosen the so-called “fiscal rules” after we challenged them. Change doesn’t come cheap, and money will have to be spent on our public services and industry. At the workplace we must build power and put job security agreements at the heart of our industrial strategy. It’s the only way we can get in front of what is coming our way…” In solidarity, Sharon
Unite Members are Winning
The start of Autumn has bought more #UniteWins for our members across hospitality, transport and engineering. Our members have secured improved pay through collective bargaining, better conditions via industrial action and established a unionised voice in their workplace with new recognition deals.?
More workers are organising
Unite has signed a recognition deal with MCL Medics for offshore medics on Harbour Energy installations.
The recognition agreement signed last week covers around 20 offshore medics who provide vital lifesaving services on the Harbour Energy contract. The medics service the following offshore installations: Armada, Britannia, Everest, Jade, Jasmine, Judy, Lomond, Solan and Tolmount.
The MCL Medics agreement means that Unite will now have a platform to undertake collective bargaining on behalf of the workers to improve jobs, pay and conditions on the Harbour Energy contract.
Workers securing better pay
Rail workers pay rise
Around 1000 workers at Network Rail and Train Operating Companies will benefit from substantial pay increases after accepting the pay offer from the Department for Transport (DfT) after an overwhelming acceptance of a new pay award.
Unite’s Acting National Rail Officer John McGookin said: “This a good pay deal for Unite’s membership in the rail industry and is the next step on the path to a fully publicly owned railway that the British public wants and deserves.
“We recognise that there are challenges ahead, we have an opportunity to frame the future for rail and the wider transport sector and deliver for our members as well as the public.”
Cathay Pacific
Over 300 cabin crew working for the airline Cathay Pacific, based at London Heathrow, have won a new pay deal after negotiations by Unite, the UK’s leading trade union. The two-year pay deal will see crew receive an eight per cent increase in salary in 2025 and a further three per cent in 2026. An additional increase in flight pay has also been secured with a 10 per cent increase in 2025 and a further three per cent in 2026.
Unite regional officer Joe McGowan said: "Our members do incredibly demanding jobs and have responsibility for the safety of hundreds of passengers on every flight. This pay award is nothing less than they deserve."
Nurses win after summer strikes
Guys’ and St Thomas’ day theatre nurses have won their fight against increases to late night finishes after ~100 nurses took strike action in summer over extensions to their shift ending times that were impacting their physical and mental health and personal lives.
Following negotiations with Unite, the trust has now agreed to significantly reduce the number of late-night finishes required of the nurses.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “A huge well done to Guys’ and St Thomas’ theatre nurses for standing together in their union and getting the trust to see sense over unsustainable working hours. Demanding healthcare staff run themselves into the ground as an alternative to proper investment is a short-term fix that will only worsen the crisis in the NHS. Unite stands ready across the health service to defend workers who are being subjected to such treatment.”
Unite fights back
Workers are taking a stand against bad bosses and low pay
Union busting and Veolia
Unite is taking workers fight against union-busting at Veolia Sheffield back to the company's headquarters in France.
Veolia? Sheffield's refusal to recognise workers' chosen union has led to the escalation of the dispute, as there have been accounts of intimidation and the sacking of Unite members. The company's failure to resolve matters has resulted in the resumption of our campaigning to bring union rights to refuse workers in Sheffield.
领英推荐
It is time to resolve matters with Unite:
The fight against fire and rehire continues
Over 500 Oscar Mayer workers in Wrexham began four weeks of strikes in September over the company’s plans to #fireandrehire them to reduce their wages by up to ￡3,000 a year.
Oscar Mayer workers can count on the full support of Unite in their fight to stop fire and rehire.
“There is no justification whatsoever to slash their pay or for the threats of #fireandrehire – an abhorrent practice that should be banned outright.”
If one company can get away with this, no workers safe so Unite is taking a stand with our members.
Unite in Iceland over poverty pay
Bakkavor workers to take continuous strike action over low pay and our organisers headed to Iceland ???? to take the injustice of poverty pay into the back yard of majority shareholders Agust and Lydur Gudmundsson who make ￡ms on the backs of poorly-paid workers in the UK. Bakkavor made ￡94 million in profit last year. But most workers in Spalding are paid just ￡11.54 an hour.
Staff earn just above the minimum wage, while the rich bosses offer poverty pay. Despite reporting half-year profits of ￡55 million for 2024 Bakkavor is refusing to negotiate decent wages for workers.
Now, with staff taking a stand Tesco, Marks and Spencer and Waitrose facing shelf shortages until their employer does the right thing.
"Bakkavor has built a highly profitable business on the backs of workers."
It’s time they pay workers fairly.?
Events and campaigns
This month we held our annual equalities conferences, where Women, LGBT+, Disabled, and BAEM reps that are helping? us to drive change and champion equality joined in solidarity to learn and share insights.
Their passion is testament to how we can make difference and keep pushing forward together! Here's a round up of the weeks events.
#SAVETHEWINDERFUEL
We're taking the Government to court in defence of the Winter Fuel Payment ???
It is not too late for Labour to register the hurt that this cruel policy has caused, step back from picking the pockets of pensioners and do the right thing.
Join our call for a just transition
Join Unite on Thursday 28 November 2024 and help Save Scotland’s last oil refinery.?
Get your work colleagues, friends and family to come too. From the Workplace to the Capital, join the rally on Thursday 28 November 2024. Assemble at 10:00 at Johnston Terrace (top end), Edinburgh, EH1 2PW and at 10.20 march to Holyrood for a rally with Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary.
?Book your bus From Grangemouth to the Capital: Demo/Bus Registration
Information Disclosure Officer at Virgin Media O2. #TeamVirginMediaO2 Former Intelligence Triage Officer (Force Intelligence Bureau), Leicestershire Police.
3 个月It's a shame that when someone applies for a job with Unite, they don't contact them even with a one line email to say, sorry you have not been selected for an interview. Very disappointing when you are there to support workers and their rights.