A group of Firstsite staff are leading a campaign to change the proposed staff restructure at the gallery, to enable the continuation of the positive changes that have begun to take place. We are calling for this rethink so we can protect jobs for people, particularly local people, instead of relying on volunteers to make up the majority of the customer facing staff. The cutbacks to the current staff structure will adversely affect the visitor experience and have a negative impact on the diverse and interesting programme of events, particularly within the learning department and the engagement of children and young people, currently one of the strongest areas Firstsite has with engaging with the community. The restructure addresses necessary financial savings that need to be made, but the proposed changes will result in short term savings, rather than creating a sustainable organisation that can generate income going forward. This will also perpetuate an unequal working and earning structure within the organisation. These changes will increase pressure on the remaining staff, many of whom already work outside of their job requirements, whilst offering a more than generous wage for the Director of the gallery.

Without these safeguards and without a represented and respected workforce the NHS cannot give patients the care they deserve. Please sign this petition urging the Government to negotiate with the BMA and prevent a Junior Doctor strike.

Because all workers in the UK deserve the same workers rights! Prison Officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland do no currently have the right to take strike action over legitimate disputes! The Scottish government have this week given back Scottish Prison Officers the right to take strike action, the same must be afforded to colleagues in the rest of the U.K.!

Having a job and earning a decent wage is a necessity if we as a society are going to address some of the biggest concerns facing our generation. Poverty has a devastating effect on families across Scotland and in-work poverty has no place in the 21st century. There is no excuse for low-pay, when time and time again it has been shown to be not only an ineffective means of employment, but also a hindrance on long-term sustainable economic growth. Low wages result in poorer services, higher staff turnover, increased absences from work and a lower quality of life for staff stuck in low pay. We have not only an opportunity, but a responsibility, to tackle poverty and eradicate the blight it puts on people’s lives once and for all. Addressing low pay will not put an end to hardship overnight, as it is only part of a much wider and more complex picture of social justice, but it is a start, and it should be our goal to achieve it.

Other countries are using this fund to support their steel industries. Here’s a giant pot of money into which Whitehall should dip its fingers. Please do. Jobs, communities and a vital industry should be supported.

because it degrades these people working those hours for no pay and no chance of being employed by ikea they just move on to the next batch of unfortunate people

Firefighters understand that times are difficult and money is tight, but we believe these cuts go too far and would risk the long term safety of the public. The cuts would lead to slower response times, with fire engines taking longer to reach you in times of need. They would lead to a significantly increased risk to both the public and firefighters alike. Please add your name to our petition and tell Gloucestershire County Council to rethink these dangerous cuts!

The proposed new junior doctor contact is not safe or fair for patients or doctors. It removes vital safeguards that protect junior doctors from working dangerously long hours thereby endangering patients and doctors. The contract changes out of hours work, devaluing the work done in the evenings and weekends. The changes would penalise those going into general practice at a time when there is a chronic shortage of GPs in Northern Ireland. The Scottish and Welsh governments have already said they will not impose the contract.

Councils and Councillors now have significant control of railways in the North. Twenty nine Councils make up a new body called “Rail North.” Although Rail North cannot decide whether our railways should be publicly owned (which is what most passengers would prefer!) they will be deciding on many important issues that affect passengers. This includes train service levels and what station and train staff will be available to assist passengers and protect their safety. One of Rail North’s first big decisions will be to help determine with the government the rail franchise agreements for Northern Rail and Transpennine Express Trains (TPE) services. These agreements start on 1st April 2016, shortly before the local elections in May. Worryingly the current proposed franchise agreements mean there will be fewer rail staff to help passengers and protect their safety. There are no guarantees that ticket offices will be kept open. And no safeguards that as many stations as possible will have properly trained and directly employed station staff to help passengers. In fact there will be cuts to rail jobs.

It is important to commend and support as well as to challenge,

On 14th September the Vice Chancellor and Student Services Director at the Open University announced plans to close seven English regional centres in Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Gateshead and London. They claim this is with the aim of putting students first and giving them a better support services experience. 500 highly qualified, experienced and dedicated staff members stand to lose their jobs or face having to compete to retain their posts at another location with all the disruption this causes. Worst of all is that their academic and student support expertise would be lost. The Open University has already closed one regional centre and transferred student services from a regional to a faculty based model. This already means that students who once could have all their support needs met in one team might now have to contact as many as four separate teams for this. Increasing reliance on online resources also leaves students floundering when they could previously speak to a student support expert as a first resort. The plans to close offices and jettison staff teams with as much as 190 years of academic and student support experience among them, for new, inexperienced staff working in call centre conditions are only likely to further reduce the quality of service students can expect

Those who want to retire have the choice