Scot Walker

NO BAN WITHOUT A PLAN. Thousands of oil and gas jobs are being lost while governments argue over what happens next. And with those jobs go valuable skills, experience and expertise that will be vital to building our future energy industries. As The Scotsman points out, we have the infrastructure and, crucially, the skilled people to become a renewables powerhouse. But we risk losing both if we don’t act. Unite has been clear: there can be no just transition if workers and their communities are simply left behind. We need a proper plan that protects jobs, invests in communities, retains vital skills and creates secure, well-paid work in the industries of the future. That means investment, training, new industrial opportunities and a real say for workers in shaping the transition. You cannot build a green future by throwing away the people and skills you need to deliver it. No ban without a plan. No just transition without workers. scotsman.com/news/opinion/co…

It's capitalism at its worst: buy a business, strip out what you can, take the money and leave the workers and communities to deal with the wreckage. Too often, capitalism rewards those who strip a business of its value, not those who build it, work in it or depend on it. news.sky.com/story/poundland…

Abuse and harassment is a regular part of airline and airport staff’s working experience. 72 per cent of ground staff 71 per cent of cabin crew receiving verbal abuse at least monthly 31 per cent of ground staff 42 per cent of cabin crew had been physically assaulted Unite is campaigning for more power to ban disruptive passengers and to introduce a sector wide minimum standards. #AbuseDoesntFly birminghammail.co.uk/news/mi…

If you’re at Unite sector conference in Brighton this week, make sure you come see us at Unite For A Workers’ Economy stall for a free copy of our Cable Street book. If you’re not at sector conferences you can get a copy from Rough Trade Books - link below: 👇 roughtradebooks.com/collecti…

Story here: Drunk builder who celebrated bringing Manchester Airport to a standstill at cost of £188,000 after being refused boarding for 'peeing himself' faces up to ten years in jail dailymail.com/news/article-1…

The Bank of England this week announced an interest rate increase that will heap more pressure on already struggling household budgets. Not only will the rate hike add hundreds to the cost of mortgage payments but will inevitably mean cost increases in the rental market too. But its worth remembering the last time the BoE steadily increased interest rates to 5.25% in 2024, it was boom time for the banks with record profits swelling the coffers. Would it be cynical to ask if the interest rate rise is linked to the temporary increase in the tax on bank profits from 3% to 6% or merely a coincidence? positivemoney.org/uk/press-r…

Unite has met again with @Mather_Keir, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, and @Euan4Falkirk at Edinburgh airport today, to discuss our Abuse Doesn’t Fly campaign. The Minister heard powerful personal testimony from airport workers about the impact of verbal abuse, threats, intimidation and violence, recognising that this is a workplace safety issue – not simply part of the job. We discussed the next steps for the campaign, including opportunities presented by the Aviation Bill and the need for an industry-wide charter covering workers from kerbside to airside, backed by meaningful action from employers to protect aviation workers. Abuse must never be accepted as part of the job - we await a response from the minister in the near future and look forward to further productive dialogue.

The protests sweeping France are about more than the cost of living, education and public services. They are part of a wider movement against growing inequality, attacks on workers’ rights and a dangerous drift towards authoritarianism. From the streets of France to the US midterm elections, people are making their voices heard and pushing back against a politics that puts the powerful before ordinary working people. Governments at home and abroad need to learn the lesson. Ignore the anger of working people at your peril. Workers deserve better. theguardian.com/world/2026/n…

No Ban Without a Plan. And no energy transition without workers. @UniteSharon is calling for grid renationalisation and serious investment in jobs as part of the new Energy Independence Bill. Our electricity grid is too important to be run primarily for private profit. Bringing it back into public ownership would mean putting decisions about investment, infrastructure and our energy future in the hands of a system accountable to the public. It would give us the opportunity to plan for the long term, modernise the network, expand capacity and make sure the infrastructure is there to support a new generation of clean energy. But energy independence must also mean protecting skilled jobs, investing in new industries and giving workers and communities a future. We cannot simply turn off the taps on North Sea oil and gas and leave workers and communities to pick up the pieces. We need a properly funded, worker-led transition, with good, secure jobs on decent pay and conditions. No Ban Without a Plan. No workers left behind. unitetheunion.org/news-event…

Aviation workers deserve respect. Abuse Doesn’t Fly! ✈️ A big thank you to our colleagues at the ETF - European Transport Workers' Federation for standing with Unite and supporting our Abuse Doesn’t Fly campaign. Abuse, threats, intimidation and violence against aviation workers are not part of the job. Whether you’re working on the ground or in the air, everyone has the right to go to work safely and with dignity. Unite’s survey of almost 2,000 aviation workers exposed the shocking scale of the problem: 🔴 72% of ground staff experience verbal abuse at least monthly. 🔴 71% of cabin crew experience verbal abuse at least monthly. 🔴 31% of ground staff and 42% of cabin crew have experienced physical assault. This has to stop. We need an industry-wide charter to tackle abuse and protect workers from kerbside to airside. You can help us make that happen. Ask your MP to support the campaign by signing Early Day Motion 639, tabled by Peter Lamb MP.

Solidarity to our North Sea offshore members at Apache taking 24 hours of strike action today in response to a real terms pay cut, and detrimental 'claw back' policy. These are highly skilled technicians and radio operators, and Apache's operations will come to a standstill without them. Luckily for Apache, their parent company makes hundreds of millions in profit so they can easily afford to meet our members' demands promptly. Read more: unitetheunion.org/news-event…

The outcome of US elections affects us all one way or another. The decisive rejection of Trump's GOP will be celebrated around the world. It also shows that cost of living is the make-or-break issue for voters. Tough talk on immigration and culture war arguments on Twitter don't impress voters who struggle to fill their petrol tank up or buy groceries - even with the backing of billionaire oligarchs. Some of our UK politicians might want to reflect on that...

Unite is calling for: ✈️A clear, national, worker-led approach to abusive and disruptive behaviour ✈️Airports as well as airlines to be given the power to ban disruptive passengers ✈️Implementation of minimum standards across the industry Abuse Doesn't Fly deadlinenews.co.uk/2026/11/0…

Across the country, vulnerable people are struggling for accessible, affordable, good-quality, compassionate social care. Unite’s retired members know that enough is enough; we need the government to act, now. Say no to picking the pockets of pensioners! Say yes to a #wealthtax! unitetheunion.org/campaigns/…

Fancy a holiday? Heading off on a work trip? Whatever the reason for travelling, there’s absolutely no excuse for abusing the people who get you there. Our new survey has exposed the shocking reality facing aviation workers at Scottish airports. One cabin crew member was grabbed by the throat and pinned against an aircraft wall by a passenger. A female crew member was sexually harassed by a drunk passenger who exposed himself and demanded sexual favours. A security worker was subjected to racist abuse, only to see the same passenger back at the airport and flying again the next day. And these aren’t isolated incidents. 72% of ground staff and 71% of cabin crew experience verbal abuse at least monthly. 31% of ground staff and 42% of cabin crew have been physically assaulted. Let’s be clear: abuse, threats, intimidation and violence are NOT part of the job. Whether you’re off on holiday, travelling for work or simply trying to get somewhere, treat the people working in our airports and on our planes with respect. Unite’s Abuse Doesn’t Fly campaign is demanding real action, including powers to ban serious and repeat offenders across airlines and airports, better security and proper protection for workers. Enjoy your journey. But leave the abuse at home. Back our campaign. #AbuseDoesntFly news.stv.tv/scotland/cabin-c…

It’s a big ask to find a more odious example of a Reform politician than their leader Nigel Farage. But in a barrel full of rotten apples, leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick certainly ticks all the boxes. When challenged by ITV’s Paul Brand, Jenrick’s response was to attack the journalist rather than properly answer the questions. And that’s the problem with Reform. Plenty of bluster, scapegoating and finger-pointing, but precious little to offer working people. No serious answers on low pay, insecure work, falling living standards or the obscene wealth inequality in this country. Just snake oil, slogans and lies dressed up as an alternative. Working people deserve better than that. independent.co.uk/tv/news/it… independent.co.uk/tv/news/it…

Blindsided? Furious? Hmmm… Whether you call this this a betrayal or government chicanery, it’s not very good, is it? More than 100,000 former miners were expecting a pension boost, with around £1.2 billion sitting in the Guarantor’s Fund. But a last-minute Treasury U-turn means there’s no timetable for them receiving the money. It seems like only yesterday that Andy Burnham came to power talking about ending 40 years of neoliberalism. But what does that mean if the government cannot even put right one of the great historic injustices inflicted on mining communities? These are men and women who gave their working lives to this country. Many are elderly and thousands may never live to see the money they are owed. The promises were made. The money is there. Now it’s time to deliver justice. Justice delayed is justice denied. opendemocracy.net/burnham-fu…

That amazingly seminal film Brassed Off, brilliantly captured the story of the mining communities of Britain who know all too well what happens when an industry is shut down and workers are simply left to fend for themselves. Thatcher and the Tories presided over the destruction of the coal industry, ripping the heart out of communities, destroying livelihoods and leaving a legacy of economic hardship that many places are still living with today. We cannot allow history to repeat itself with the oil and gas industry - the transition to a low-carbon economy must not come at the expense of the workers who have powered our economy for generations. That means investment, proper retraining, secure and well-paid jobs, strong union recognition and a future for the communities that depend on the industry. A just transition means putting workers and communities first - not leaving them on the scrapheap. We learned the lessons of the 1980s the hard way. Let’s not make the same mistake twice. #JustTransition #OilAndGas #WorkersEconomy bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqe8…

ABUSE DOESN’T FLY - IT’S TIME TO TAKE ACTION! Unite is calling for abusive passengers to be banned from airports and flights. As highlighted in The Times, our survey exposed the shocking scale of the problem: ✈️ 72% of ground staff experience verbal abuse at least monthly. ✈️ 71% of cabin crew face the same. ✈️ 31% of ground staff and 42% of cabin crew have suffered physical assault. Abuse, threats and intimidation are NOT part of the job. We need an industry-wide approach that protects every aviation worker, from kerbside to airside. #AbuseDoesntFly