1,610 words, 9 minutes read time.
Welcome to Union News your guide to what’s happening in the UK trade union and labour movement. Reports are by Pat Harrington and original music is from Tim Bragg. In this edition: First Bus Accused of Undermining Strikers’ Call for Real Living Wage, Victory for Low-Paid School Workers in John Swinney’s Constituency, Bolt Drivers Win Landmark Case Over Gig Economy Exploitation, G4S Security Workers Demand Equal Pay and Respect, and UN: Israel’s Gaza Attacks Kill Nearly 70% Civilians, Mostly Women and Children.
First Bus Accused of Undermining Strikers’ Call for Real Living Wage
Workers at First South Yorkshire are calling out their employer for hypocrisy after the company claimed to support their fight for the Real Living Wage while secretly undermining their ongoing strike. The workers, employed by contractor Bidvest Noonan at Sheffield’s Olive Grove depot, have been on strike for two months, demanding a pay increase from the current minimum wage of £11.44 per hour to £13.85 – the Real Living Wage. Unite the Union claims that instead of supporting their workers, First Bus has been using its own staff to cover duties during the strike, including moving buses in the depot, directly weakening the impact of the industrial action.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham accused First Bus of making false public statements about supporting the wage increase, while doing everything in its power to break the strike. “The hypocrisy of First West Yorkshire is astounding,” Graham said. “The reality is that First is actively trying to break the strike and keep workers on poverty wages.” The workers’ fight is a crucial one, not only for fair pay but for respect and dignity in the workplace, with the union vowing to continue the action until the Real Living Wage is implemented.
The dispute at First South Yorkshire highlights a wider issue within the transport and service industries, where many workers are struggling to make ends meet despite working full-time. With rising costs of living and increasing pressure on low-paid workers, the call for the Real Living Wage is louder than ever. Unite has pledged to escalate its support for these workers, warning that the strike will continue until First and Bidvest Noonan are forced to come to the negotiating table.
Victory for Low-Paid School Workers in John Swinney’s Constituency
Striking non-teaching staff in Perthshire North have secured a significant victory after pressure from Unison led to a credible new pay offer from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla). The workers, including cleaners and support staff in local schools, had been on strike for two weeks in a battle for a pay rise, rejecting an initial offer of just 3.6%. Despite resistance from the Scottish government and Cosla’s insistence that there were no more funds available, the workers won a revised offer that includes a £15 per hour minimum wage and a 5.6% raise for the lowest-paid staff.
Unison’s Collette Hunter hailed the agreement as a major success for the workers, saying that their industrial action had forced the Scottish government to come to the table and engage seriously with the issue. “We’ve secured these commitments thanks to the determination of our members and the solidarity they showed on the picket lines,” Hunter said. The new offer is a direct result of sustained pressure on Cosla and the Scottish government, who now face the task of addressing the broader funding crisis in local councils.
However, the battle isn’t over. Cosla is still grappling with a massive budget shortfall, and workers’ unions are calling for more significant action to ensure that the funding crisis doesn’t undermine the gains made by these workers. With a new round of negotiations expected in December, trade unions are urging the Scottish government to allocate more funds to local councils to prevent further cuts to essential services. The struggle for fair wages and proper funding continues.
Bolt Drivers Win Landmark Case Over Gig Economy Exploitation
In a major victory for gig economy workers, Bolt drivers have won a groundbreaking legal case that could see each of the 15,000 affected drivers receive an estimated £15,000 in backdated compensation for underpayment. The ruling, which goes further than the previous Supreme Court case against Uber, determines that Bolt drivers are not self-employed contractors but workers, entitled to minimum wage and holiday pay. Leigh Day, the firm representing the drivers, confirmed that the compensation package could reach up to £200 million across the UK.
This ruling is a significant blow to gig economy giants like Bolt, which have long relied on classifying drivers as independent contractors to avoid providing basic worker rights such as paid sick leave, holiday pay, and minimum wage. GMB’s Eamon O’Hearn celebrated the decision, calling it a major victory for workers in the gig economy, but warned that the battle is far from over. “This ruling confirms what we’ve been saying all along: gig workers deserve the same rights and protections as any other worker,” O’Hearn said.
While Bolt has expressed disappointment and indicated plans to appeal the decision, unions are calling for broader legislative changes to protect gig workers across the UK. App Drivers & Couriers Union General Secretary Zamir Dreni emphasized that the government must act to fix the gaps in current employment laws, which have allowed companies like Bolt and Uber to exploit workers for too long. The fight for fair pay and conditions in the gig economy is gaining momentum, with workers and unions pushing for systemic change to ensure that all workers are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.
G4S Security Workers Demand Equal Pay and Respect
Security workers employed by multinational G4S to serve at government departments in central London are demanding an end to poverty wages and the same pay and conditions as their directly employed civil service counterparts. The workers, who are striking outside Whitehall for the second week, have been offered a paltry 5p pay rise by the company, a proposal which has been roundly rejected by PCS union members. The workers, who are vital to maintaining security at government buildings, argue that G4S is making massive profits while cutting essential benefits for its staff—an injustice they are determined to fight.
“We’re being asked to do the same job as civil servants, but with far less pay and fewer rights. G4S is pocketing huge profits, while we struggle to make ends meet,” one striker explained. “They outsourced our jobs to cut costs, but that’s meant fewer benefits for us. We have no guaranteed sick pay, no maternity or paternity leave, and the little we do get is far less than what our colleagues in the civil service enjoy. Meanwhile, the government continues to fund these private companies through taxpayers’ money, yet refuses to ensure that we’re paid fairly for the crucial work we do.” For these workers, the fight is not just about pay—it’s about ensuring that essential workers are not treated as disposable commodities in a privatised system that profits at their expense.
The mood on the picket line is upbeat and defiant, as strikers bring energy and unity to the streets of Whitehall. “This isn’t just about us getting a better pay deal,” said Mohammed, a striker who is participating in his first strike action. “This is about showing that we deserve the same respect as those who work directly for the government. The company has been treating us like second-class citizens for too long, and we won’t let that continue.” The strikers, a diverse group representing different cultures and backgrounds, have been using music, whistles, and chants to bring attention to their cause, demonstrating their resolve and solidarity. “The more we strike, the more we gain confidence,” Mohammed added. “At first, we didn’t know how to go about it, but now we’ve got our voices heard. Our spirits are unbreakable, and we’re here until we win what we deserve.” The growing strength of their collective action is sending a powerful message: these workers will no longer be ignored.
and finally, UN: Israel’s Gaza Attacks Kill Nearly 70% Civilians, Mostly Women and Children
A new UN report reveals that almost 70 percent of those killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza over the past six months were civilians, with women and children bearing the brunt of the violence. The report, released today by the UN Human Rights Office, details the disproportionate impact on Gaza’s most vulnerable populations, calling Israel’s actions a violation of international law and warning that war crimes may have been committed.
From November 2023 to April 2024, 8,119 Palestinians were killed, with 44 percent of victims being children and 26 percent women. The report highlights that many of the deaths occurred in residential buildings, where around 80 percent of the casualties were trapped in their homes when Israeli bombs struck. The UN has condemned Israel’s use of heavy weaponry in such densely populated areas, pointing to a blatant disregard for civilian life.
“The killing and injury of civilians on this scale is a direct consequence of Israel’s failure to comply with international humanitarian law,” said Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. “There must be accountability for these violations.”
Israel maintains that its military operations are aimed at Hamas, but has yet to provide evidence of its claims that Palestinian fighters are using civilians as human shields. Despite these assertions, the ongoing siege and airstrikes continue to devastate Gaza, with 39 Palestinians reported killed and over 120 injured in Israeli attacks today.
As the crisis deepens, international calls for justice grow louder, urging accountability for the mass civilian deaths and the continued siege of Gaza.
By Maria Camara
Picture Credits
By Geof Sheppard – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35223084
