Hong Kong Cabin Crew Take BA to Court to End Age and Race Discrimination

LONDON, November 25 -

    Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT)
    10.30am, Thursday, November 26th, 2009
    58 Victoria Embankment, EC4Y 0DS London

Unite Announces Dates for Ballot of BA Cabin Crew

LONDON - The ballot of BA’s 14,000 cabin crew will open on Monday 16th November, Unite the union has announced.

Union Says BA Ballot Goes Ahead - and Cabin Crew Do Not Accept New Contracts Willingly

LONDON - Unite the union wishes to make absolutely clear that BA’s 14,000 cabin crew have not accepted wholesale changes being imposed on the crew contracts from November 16th.

Unite Calls Time on Obscene ‘Ten to One’ Pay Gap at London Underground

LONDON - At exactly ten minutes to one today (Wednesday), Unite members at London Underground will be calling time on the obscene pay gap at the capital’s tube operator.

Diageo Workers Vote YES for Action to Save Jobs

LONDON -

- Attn: Scottish and Business Press

Unite members at three leading Diageo sites in Scotland have today (Friday) voted overwhelmingly to back a ballot on industrial action.

Workers Uniting Questions Vale’s Cancellation of Investor Events

LONDON - Workers Uniting, the world’s first international union, has criticised Vale’s recent decision to cancel planned investor events in New York and London as more evidence of a company in disarray.

Unite Commenting on Boris Johnson’s Plans to Increase Tube and Bus Fares in London

LONDON - Commenting on tube and bus fares rises announced today (Thursday) by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, Unite believes this is an outrageous decision in the midst of this recession.

Delay on Agency Workers Equal Treatment a Scandal, Says Unite

LONDON - Responding to the announcement today (Thursday) from the Government that there will be a delay to the full implementation of legislation to ensure equal treatment for agency workers, Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of Unite said:

Make Diageo Think Again Over Closures Decision, Workers Appeal to Shareholders

LONDON - Workers representing the 900 Diageo workers whose jobs hang in the balance with the threat of widespread cuts and the closure of the historic Johnnie Walker plant at Kilmarnock and the Port Dundas Distillery will be outside the company’s AGM today (Wednesday) fighting for their jobs.

Unrest Grows at FirstGroup as Bus Workers’ Rejection of Zero Pay Deal Snowballs

LONDON - Two and a half thousand bus workers at FirstGroup are set to take strike action in some of the country’s biggest transport regions in mounting disputes over an imposed zero per cent pay deal. The strikes are set to go ahead as FirstGroup’s national management refuses to allow the local managements of its 19 subsidiaries to fund a pay rise for its employees.

Unite Reaction to Banking Reform Agreement

LONDON - Rob MacGregor, Unite national officer, said:

“This agreement is a smoke screen designed to deflect criticism away from those who brought our banking system to its knees. The industry remains over populated with the greedy, arrogant and corrupt.

Unite Slams Boris Johnson’s Plans for London Buses as ‘Ludicrous’

LONDON - Unite, the UK’s largest trade union, has today (Thursday) welcomed the findings of an independent report, produced by the Royal Automobile Club Foundation (RAC) which states that Mayor Boris Johnson is “pre-occupied with minority-focused transport schemes and high-cost initiatives”.

Unite Fears BA Suffering an Identity Crisis Over Moves to Introduce Low-cost Carrier Charges

LONDON - Unite, the UK’s largest aviation union and the largest union representing workers at British Airways, is today (Saturday) accusing BA’s management of suffering an identity crisis. It comes as the airline’s management announces that it will charge for seat reservations, a move the union believes tarnishes the carrier’s image further and is yet another misguided attempt to mimic the low-cost airlines.

Unite Rejects Jaguar Attempts to Make Workers pay for Management Failures

LONDON - Commenting on the announcement today (Thursday) by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) of its new plan for the future of the business, Unite national secretary for the automotive sector, Dave Osborne said:

Hundreds Take to the Streets to Demonstrate Over Proposed Closure of Anglesey Aluminium

LONDON -

WHEN: 12pm, Saturday, 19th September 2009

WHERE: Holyhead Town Hall, Newry Street, LL65

Back the People, Not the Spivs Unite Urges Government

LONDON - The price for the recession is being paid for by ordinary workers while those who pushed the economy over the edge are getting back to business as usual warns Tony Woodley, Unite joint general secretary.

Unite Outrage at Diageo’s Announcement to Reject Proposals to Save Scottish Jobs

LONDON - Diageo’s announcement today (Wednesday 9th September) to reject proposals by the Scottish Government that would safeguard jobs has outraged Unite, the UK’s biggest union.

Kraft’s bid for Cadbury Needs to Ease Worries on Jobs and Pensions

LONDON - Commenting on the news today that global food giant Kraft is to table a bid for UK chocolate maker Cadbury, Jennie Formby, Unite national officer for the food sector, said: “It is too early for us to make any detailed comment on this announcement. Unite has requested meetings with both Kraft and Cadbury senior management immediately so that we can begin to understand what the detail of these proposals would mean in terms of long-term commitment to UK jobs at all Cadbury sites, and any possible impact on workers’ conditions, including their pensions.”

/C O R R E C T I O N — Unite the Union/

GLASGOW - In the news release, “MSPs Join Diageo Workers to Take the Pledge to Fight for Scottish Jobs” issued on 1 Sep 2009 10:11 GMT, by Unite the Union over PR Newswire, we are advised by a representative of the company that the media contact information has changed and the MSP’s name in the third paragraph should have read Willie Coffey rather than Patricia Ferguson as originally issued inadvertently. Complete, corrected release follows:

MSPs Join Diageo Workers to Take the Pledge to Fight for Scottish Jobs

GLASGOW - MSPs from all parties are being invited to sign an oversized pledge card ahead of a major ministerial statement on Diageo’s proposed restructuring in Scotland, which would slash 900 jobs and is being fiercely opposed by Unite the union. The sign up marks the start of a day when the Scottish Parliament itself will put Diageo’s restructuring plans under the spotlight.

Unite Members at Fujitsu Vote Overwhelmingly to Strike Over Pay and Pensions

LONDON -

Members of Unite, the UK’s largest union, working for Fujitsu have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action as part of a UK-wide consultative ballot against a proposal to close the company’s main final salary pension scheme and the imposition of a pay freeze. 87 per cent of members voted in favour of strike action and 96 per cent in favour of industrial action short of a strike.

Diageo Profits Leap Proves no Case for Destroying Scottish Jobs

LONDON - Reacting to the release today by drinks giant Diageo of its yearly results, which reveal a leap in operating profits of 10 percent to GBP2,443 billion, Len McCluskey, assistant general secretary of Unite, said: “Even in a global recession, Diageo can pull in billions of pounds in pure profit. Surely now Diageo’s claims that it must cut Scottish jobs to reduce costs can be seen once and for all for what they are - about short-term greed, not long-term need.

Unite Welcomes Government Plans to Appoint Chief Adviser on Construction

LONDON - Unite, Britain’s biggest union, has today (26th August) welcomed the Government’s plans to appoint a Chief Adviser on construction.

More Cuts at Lloyds Mean More Confusion and Uncertainty

LONDON - Unite union has sharply criticised Lloyds Banking Group’s (LBG) confused management style today (25th August) as the bank announces over 200 job losses in its general insurance arm, bringing the total job cuts at the bank to 7,500 this year.

Retirement Benefits Slashed at RBS

LONDON - Unite, Britain’s biggest union, has today described RBS’s planned cuts to its pension scheme as a ‘body blow’ to its 60,000 staff.

Teesside Writer Takes to Plinth to Highlight Steel Workers Jobs Crisis

LONDON -

WHEN: 3pm, Wednesday, 26th August 2009

WHERE: Trafalgar Square, London

Unite Supports Strategy for Workers to Access Skills

LONDON - Five sector skills councils supported by trade unions Unite, Prospect, GMB, CSEU and the TUC have launched an initiative to improve access to quality training and development for manufacturing companies in the UK.

Workers Uniting Union Counters the Lies in U.S. Health Care Debate

LONDON - Workers Uniting, the world’s first international union, has launched an attack on the lies and misinformation being spread in the USA by opponents of President Obama’s health insurance reform plan.

IBM Faces Pensions Backlash, Warns Unite

LONDON -

LONDON, August 17 /PRNewswire/ –

Unite, the UK’s largest union, is warning IBM to brace itself for a backlash from thousands of employees against the company’s plans to close the final salary pension schemes to future accrual and to alter the terms of its early retirement scheme.

UK Chemical Workers Protest in Barcelona Against `Callous’ Sackings by Artenius

LONDON -

- Photo-opportunity

- 12.30pm, Friday, August 7th

- Transport House, Fry Street, Middlesbrough

Barclays Staff Tell Shareholders: “Protect our Pensions”

LONDON -

Date: Thursday, 6th August 2009

Time: 9.30am - 11.30am

Location: The Brewery, Chiswell Street, London, EC1Y 4SD

Unite Accuses Diageo of Being ‘Drunk’ on Greed as Scotland’s Workers March to Save Jobs

LONDON and GLASGOW, Scotland -

On Sunday 26th July, Unite the union, will lead thousands of people from across Scotland in a march to defend Diageo jobs and the nation’s whisky heritage.

Committee Says Government Must Deliver for Car Industry - Unite Agrees

LONDON -

Commenting on the report out today (Friday) from the influential Select Committee on Business and Enterprise, which calls for government to stop dragging its heels on support for the car industry, Tony Woodley, Unite joint general secretary, said:

Taxi War Chaos Narrowly Averted at Heathrow as Unite Wins Breakthrough

LONDON - Chaos for passengers has been narrowly averted at one of the world’s busiest airports thanks to the intervention of Unite, the UK’s biggest union.

BERR Select Committee Report is Bold but Not Bold Enough Says Unite

LONDON - Unite, the UK’s largest union, today (Tuesday) welcomes the BERR Select Committee report entitled ‘Post offices- securing their future’, but expresses disappointment that the committee has not been bold enough in recognising that a bank based at the Post Office would only deliver a number of the points that the committee acknowledges in its report.