UK
New government urged to take responsibility for the Police Race Action Plan

Sir Keir Starmer’s government must prioritise anti-racist policing by funding and overseeing the plan says a report from the Independent Scrutiny & Oversight Board

THE NEW Government must put anti-racist policing at the core of its proposals by providing direct responsibility and funding of the Police Race Action Plan, according to a new report by the Independent Scrutiny & Oversight Board (ISOB).

In its latest annual feedback report, the ISOB highlights limited progress on delivering the Police Race Action Plan four years after it was jointly announced by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing.

The ISOB is calling on the government to take on responsibility for the Police Race Action Plan and accelerate action to create a fairer policing system for Black communities.

Abimbola Johnson, Chair of the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board, said: “We recognise the dedication of those working directly and indirectly on the Police Race Action Plan, which is shown on a daily basis. We have seen improvements, particularly at the beginning of this year.

“This is despite ongoing budget challenges, limited accountability for the programme’s success, and continued refusal by policing as a whole to acknowledge institutional racism. We want the Government to take responsibility for the Plan to ensure sustainable funding and proper accountability, and to develop a comprehensive long-term strategy for making policing better for Black communities.

“A forward-thinking roadmap, developed in partnership with policymakers and anti-racism experts, will improve the consistently low levels of trust we see in Black people in policing. Delivering on the overall aims that inspired the creation of the Plan and achieving an adequately funded strategy will provide the action needed to create change.”

Improvements needed

The report outlines ongoing challenges in the Race Action Programme, including a lack of resources, limited performance metrics, and inconsistent engagement with individuals outside of policing. Central government responsibility will unlock vital funding that will ensure measurable progress in improving policing for Black communities.

The report comes as the programme responsible for implementing and embedding the Police Race Action Plan enters its final year as a standalone initiative.

In response to this time constraint, the report recommends that the central programme focuses on the following areas: Introducing tangible and measurable performance metrics linked to the Police Race Action Plan’s Outcomes Framework to ensure forces continue their journey to becoming anti-racist beyond the end of the programme.
Identifying clear areas of focus to ensure an emphasis on outcomes instead of outputs.
Increasing engagement with external stakeholders, particularly with Black people under 25, to more effectively demonstrate how this engagement has informed the Plan.

‘Make or break year’

Johnson added: “The central Police Race Action Plan programme is in its crucial transition year. The programme needs a focused approach that will embed change into the very structure of policing.

“To ensure a strong legacy that will drive change in individual forces, tangible and measurable performance metrics must be established, clear focus areas must be identified, and meaningful engagement with stakeholders outside of policing must be increased. The Police Race Action Plan still has the potential to create change; this year is make or break.”

The report also comes as the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing publish a 2024 progress report for the Police Race Action Plan, outlining work that has been delivered on the Plan.

Police Race Action Plan (PRAP) Senior Responsible Officer, Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, said: “I have been hugely impressed with the progress the Plan has made under new leadership since September, and I want to thank Alison and her team for driving forward these changes, which will make a real difference to Black communities.
Improvements

“ISOB has acknowledged that improvements have been made in the Plan’s delivery since the turn of the year and I am determined to help support the programme in continuing its progress to deliver tangible long-term change.”

PRAP Programme Director, T/Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dr Alison Heydari, said: “We welcome this latest report from our Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board (ISOB), which has continued to diligently and robustly guide and challenge the Plan over the past 12 months.

“I feel we have made huge strides forward in our strategy and delivery in recent months, with work already in train to address the three key recommendations in ISOB’s report.

“In the coming weeks we will publish a progress report outlining our work to date, as well as efforts we have made to engage and consult with Black communities across the country.

“A new reiteration of the Plan is due to be published in the autumn too, which will put the plan on a long-term footing and embed its work in the DNA of policing.”

The full report, Police Race Action Plan: Independent Scrutiny & Oversight Board Annual Feedback Report, May 2023 – May 2024, is available at www.policeisob.co.uk.

UK

  

Refuse workers start ‘indefinite’ strike action

Ellie Ames 20 August 2024

Image: Matthew Ashmore / Shutterstock.com

Refuse workers in Sheffield have walked out in an ‘indefinite’ period of industrial action over union recognition.

The Unite members are in a dispute with their employer, Veolia, because the firm has not recognised their union.

Unite said it represents almost 100 workers, making up about 80% of the Lumley Street depot, but GMB is the sole recognised union.

Veolia has asked for the matter to be decided by the Trade Unions Congress.

Unite regional officer Shane Sweeting said: ‘Veolia could end this dispute tomorrow by doing the right thing and recognising the workers’ chosen union, Unite.

‘Veolia bears complete responsibility for the rubbish that will pile up across Sheffield because of its refusal to recognise Unite.’

Sheffield City Council said it was working with Veolia to ‘make sure there is as little disruption as possible’.

It’s not going well for Elon Musk

Tony Burke 

Today
Left Foot Forward

The recent X interview Musk conducted with Trump, was a technical shambles with a delayed start. 

Elon Musk’s right-wing commentaries on X, his cosying up to an increasingly erratic and disturbed Donald Trump and some strategic mistakes are damaging his business interests in the EU and US.

The recent X interview Musk conducted with Trump, was a technical shambles with a delayed start. Musk claimed it had been hacked by Iran and he then allowed Trump to ramble erratically. Musk looked out of control, as he lurched from one controversy to the next, seemingly thinking all publicity is good publicity.

Indeed, his badly judged attack on Keir Starmer during the UK’s right-wing riots coupled with his long running dispute with the Swedish IF Metall union over union rights and collective bargaining at Tesla in Sweden, and now a potential legal battle with the United Autoworkers in the USA over comments made about sacking workers during the X interview, have all been well publicised.

But behind the scenes his Tesla business has big problems with sales falling (down 5% globally in quarter 2 year on year) as the line-up of Tesla models ages and new competition arrives. And Tesla was recently hit by Rossmann, one of Europe’s largest drugstore chains who suspended Tesla vehicle purchases “with immediate effect” citing Musk’s support of Trump:

“Elon Musk makes no secret of his support for Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly described climate change as a hoax—this attitude is in stark contrast to Tesla’s mission to contribute to environmental protection through the production of electric cars” said Raoul Rossmann, Rossmann’s spokesman for the management.

Rossmann is the first major business to cite Musk’s stance as a reason to stop buying Teslas. Other European companies have dropped orders from Tesla for different reasons. Software giant SAP said it would stop offering Teslas as company cars for employees given Tesla’s numerous price alterations.

And in the US, the rental firm Hertz was left reeling from its bad bet on Tesla, resulting in it offloading tens of thousands of the company’s vehicles. European leasing companies have faced a similar predicament, forcing Tesla to offer unofficial discounts to try and calm things down.

With the European EV market far larger than in the US, Tesla sales have slumped, down to an aging line up, strong competition and fewer government subsidies on offer. That has hit Tesla, with sales down 13% for the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

Tesla shares peaked at over $400 back in 2021. But over the last year its share price has averaged $212. Shares fell 10% from a recent peak after slower sales, soaring costs from employee lay-offs and ever-greater investments in its artificial intelligence infrastructure hit quarterly profits. And Musk may yet have to off-load more Tesla stock next year to pay for the dire financial situation at X (formerly Twitter).

Other strategic blunders have contributed to Tesla’s problems. Musk had to postpone the unveiling of Tesla’s first “robotaxis” — a fleet of self-driving taxis after claiming that he would turn all Tesla vehicles into a “giant autonomous fleet” which could take the company’s valuation as high as $5tn — about six times its current market value. And the firm has been too slow to refresh its range and get an affordable small car (nicknamed the ‘Model 2’) to market.

And having once mocked China’s BYD EV, the latter is providing stiff competition. Tesla has slashed prices in order to compete. Meanwhile the much hyped Cybertruck pickup EV is bombing, exacerbated by recalls; nearly all of the 12,000 Cybertrucks sold are included in the recall.

With Starmer playing it long and avoiding being dragged into a slanging match with Musk, eyes will be on the revised on-line safety bill. Meanwhile, should Kamala Harris beat Trump in the US presidential election the reaction from Harris will be worth watching. Musk is unlikely to be a regular caller to the White House.

And in the UK Starmer may have levers to pull on possible tariffs on EVs from China (many Model 3s and Ys) are made there.

Tony Burke is the Co-Chair Of The Campaign For Trade Union Freedom

Gay British-Mexican man convicted in Qatar speaks out after return to UK

 GAY HONEY POT STING ON GRINDER

Beatrice Fanucci

Tue, 20 August 2024 


Manuel Guerrero Aviña, a gay man who was arrested and convicted in Qatar, smiling at the camera, wearing a grey blazer and light blue t-shirt. Via X - @fairsqprojects

In the first interview since his return to the UK, Manuel Guerrero Aviña, a gay British-Mexican man who was detained and convicted in Qatar, has spoken out about his imprisonment. “I never thought I’d return home safely,” he said.

According to reports, Manuel Guerrero Aviña was arrested in Qatar in February this year following an alleged police-led Grindr sting. He supposedly arranged a meeting with another man through the dating app and later found an undercover police officer waiting for him.

Guerrero Aviña was jailed for several months and during his imprisonment, he was reportedly denied access to a lawyer and forced to sign documents in Arabic without a translator. Moreover, the 44-year-old, who is said to be HIV positive, was deprived of antiretroviral medicines.

In June 2024, he was found guilty of possessing an illegal substance and received a suspended six-month prison sentence, alongside a fine of £2,100. He was also the subject of a deportation order, which led to his return to the UK earlier this month.

In his first interview since he left Qatar, the gay man recounted his 44 days in prison and subsequent detention, warning all LGBTQ+ people to “be careful when visiting Qatar”. He added, “What happened to me could happen to anyone”.

“There were so many times I was terrified,” Guerrero Aviña said. “I thought I would never be able to leave. I thought I might get lost in the system. I was really scared. I never thought I’d return home safely.”

The man also claimed that the police planted drugs in his flat in order to obtain a conviction, but that the real reason behind his arrest was his sexuality. “I absolutely deny the drugs charges,” he told BBC News.

“Throughout the entire interrogation, everything they asked me about was about my sexual partners, my sexual orientation, whether I’ve been having sex, who I have had sex with and things like that,” he said. “If it was just a drugs case, they would have been asking me about drugs.”

Same-sex relationships are illegal in Qatar and punishable by imprisonment or even death under Shariah law, with human rights groups repeatedly voicing concerns about the treatment of LGBTQ+ people in the country. Guerrero Aviña had lived in Qatar for seven years without getting in trouble with authorities before he was arrested last February.

“There seemed to be an unwritten rule that whatever went on in private was OK,” he told the BBC. “I thought I was being compliant by being discreet when (in public) and following the rules – but I was just trying to live a little bit of my life behind doors. I thought it was fine as long as it wasn’t in public.”

Recounting his time in the Qatari prison, the gay man said that he witnessed people being whipped and was moved into cramped conditions for refusing to cooperate with the police by unlocking his phone and disclosing the names of other LGBTQ+ people in Qatar.

“They were trying to force me to confess and unlock my phone – but I couldn’t put other people from the gay community at risk,” he said. “Why would I put someone else through that pain?”

The BBC was also in contact with a Qatari official, who spoke about the case, saying that Guerrero Aviña had been treated with “dignity and respect throughout his detention” and sentenced “following an investigation and trial”.

“Mr Aviña and his family have made numerous false allegations in an attempt to generate public sympathy and support for his case,” the official said. “A person’s beliefs, background or orientation do not exempt them from the law, especially when facing serious charges related to drug possession.”

However, James Lynch, who was a former British diplomat in Qatar and co-director of human rights group FairSquare, said that the trial was “grossly unfair”. Lynch added, “Manuel was clearly targeted because he was LGBT and living in Qatar and living his life”.

“Over the last three years, we’ve dealt with several cases of people who’ve been arrested and then interrogated without a lawyer,” the former diplomat explained. “The Qataris need to sort out the way justice is delivered in the country.”

The post Gay British-Mexican man convicted in Qatar speaks out after return to UK appeared first on GCN.

SPACE

Rocket engine explodes during launch test in Scotland. #Shetland #Rocket #BBCNews

 

Rocket engine explodes during test at Scotland spaceport | BBC News

A rocket engine has exploded during a launch test at the UK's new spaceport in Shetland.

The test was being carried out by German company Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) who hope to eventually launch the UK's first vertical rocket into orbit.

The scheduled nine-engine test was part of a number of trials due to be carried out before progressing to launch.

RFA said no-one was injured in the explosion and the launch pad had been "saved and is secured".

 

'Rocket flames began shooting sideways then the sound wave hit'

Lorna Gordon
BBC News Scotland correspondent

Moment rocket engine explodes during launch test in Shetland

We were in Shetland to film the latest developments in the UK's space race when the rocket launch pad caught fire so dramatically.

Our BBC crew was a safe distance across a bay, around a mile away from the rocket's launch pad at SaxaVord spaceport on Unst when the explosion happened on Monday evening.

The 30-second “hot fire test” intended to replicate the downward thrust required to get a rocket into space - without anything actually taking off.

But it was immediately clear the test had not gone according to plan.


Moment rocket engine explodes in Shetland

Rocket engine explodes during test at Shetland spaceport


The team behind the launch is now trying to work out what went wrong with the ground-based engine firing.

Unst is Britain’s most northerly inhabited island. When it comes to the issue of safety around any rocket testing and eventual firing, its remoteness is part of the attraction.

Several rocket companies vying to take satellites into space have already tested engines at their site.

The spaceport has a licence to enable them to carry out up to 30 launches a year.

BBC News had exclusive access to the launch site to witness German rocket company Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) prepare for what should have been one of the final milestones before a first test flight planned for the end of the year.

The RFA One is a 30m-tall, three-stage rocket that can deliver a 1,300kg payload to a sun-synchronous orbit around Earth.

RFA wants to use its rockets to launch satellites into orbit, catering to a growing global demand for space launches.

It hopes to be the first company to launch vertical rockets into orbit from UK soil.

SaxaVord Spaceport said all safety protocols were observed and, as is procedure, the site was evacuated prior to Monday's test, leaving no staff at risk.


BBC News filmed preparations on the engine platform before the failed launch test


As evening drew in, heavy showers which had been sweeping across the island briefly eased, making it easier to observe the test from our distant vantage point.

There were signs the test was imminent: frost appearing on the rocket stage, white clouds billowing from beneath the engine.

At any point before ignition the team monitoring the system could abort the test, even with just seconds to go.

All seemed to be going to plan as the test got under way, until flames began shooting sideways from the engine platform, rather than being directed down.

The sound wave hit us a second or two after the engines appeared to ignite.

Sparks flew in all directions as the launch tower was engulfed in flames.

Loud bangs were accompanied by dark, fiery clouds of smoke, twisting upwards as the flames took hold on the platform where we had earlier watched engineers meticulously prepare for this moment.


RFA was trying to ignite nine helix engines simultaneously


Jonas Kellner from RFA had earlier explained to me what the company was hoping to do.

The purpose of the test was, he said, was to ignite all nine helix engines simultaneously, make sure they ran in a stable manner and then shut them off in safe and controlled manner.

Getting all nine engines to fire simultaneously is complicated.

According to Malcolm Macdonald, Professor of Applied Space Technology at the University of Strathclyde, “space is difficult and rockets are even harder”.

He said one of the challenges when firing multiple engines on the same launch vehicle is to get them firing at the same time, working as a pack.

“They’re all vibrating,” he added, “so getting them all to behave correctly and to perform optimally is a real challenge because of the interference of one rocket engine to the next."

Testing and subsequent launches can be fraught with difficulty.

The first UK satellite mission launch was from Cornwall at the beginning of 2023.

It ended when the Virgin Orbit jumbo jet lost the rocket it released horizontally after it suffered an anomaly.

Last year a SpaceX starship spacecraft exploded minutes after lift off.

Afterwards, Elon Musk congratulated his team on what he called an “exciting launch” and said they had learned a lot.


Before and after the launch explosion at the Unst spaceport


The first stage of RFA's 30-metre long rocket test had been impressive.

As we walked around the launch vehicle ahead of what was ultimately an unsuccessful firing, what also stood out to me was the relative youth of this highly skilled workforce of rocket scientists, engineers and technicians.

The average age here is 29. I’m told this is not unusual for companies developing rockets.

The team in Unst and others back at the company's headquarters in Germany will now start studying the pictures from the cameras they had placed around the site and analysing the huge amount of data they have gathered, trying to work out what caused the fire.

In a statement, RFA said they were aware of the higher risk attached to their "iterative approach" and that they will take their time “to assess the situation" and that their goal was to "return to regular operations as soon as possible”.

Setting vertical rockets into space is hard.

The hot fire test in Unst demonstrated both why these tests are important and how challenging launching rockets can be.

What next for space launch bids after rocket engine explosion in Shetland?

By The Newsroom
Published 20th Aug 2024

Hopes have been dashed that rocket would deliver first orbital satellite launch ever from UK soil later this year

Arocket engine exploded during a test at the SaxaVord Spaceport on Unst, with the fiery conflagration destroying the first stage of the satellite launch vehicle.

German company Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) say they are keen to resume operations “as soon as possible” and stress the importance of tests like the one that took place on Monday.

It was hoped this rocket would deliver the first orbital satellite launch ever from UK soil, with plans for it to take place later this year.

Here are some of the key questions about what happens next.

What was it that exploded?

RFA was conducting a “hot fire” of all nine Helix engines on the first stage of the rocket – the lower part of the vehicle which lofts it from the launch pad before separating from the upper stages.

The test took place at the privately-run SaxaVord Spaceport on Unst, the northernmost inhabited island in the UK.

Ultimately, RFA aims to use their rockets to launch satellites into orbit, catering to a growing global demand for space launches.

Called the RFA One, the vehicle is a 30m-tall three-stage rocket, which can deliver a 1,300kg payload to a sun-synchronous orbit around Earth.

What do we know about what went wrong?

Engineers from RFA will be pouring over data and footage from the test to understand what led to the explosion. So far they have not revealed any obvious cause.

The rocket engine explodes during its test launch at the spaceport in Shetland. | BBC

The company is particularly proud of its rocket engines, which use a closed combustion cycle to burn fuel more efficiently than other launchers of the same class.

Professor Malcolm Macdonald of Strathclyde University, an expert in space technology, says the complexity of rocket engine testing increases as more engines are fired up on the same vehicle.

He told the PA news agency: “You expect to pass, but you plan for the possibility of failure.

“Failures of these tests, particularly on rockets, are not that uncommon.

“Particularly on new rockets, we see failures relatively frequently on them.”

What will RFA do now?

RFA say their production process is iterative – meaning they incorporate lessons learned from any failures into the next rocket they build.

Earlier this year, its chief commercial officer Jorn Spurmann told the PA news agency they intend to gradually build up their launch cadence to one a month – meaning work on a replacement launcher is already underway.

The most recent timescale for the first launch from SaxaVord was around September or October, but Prof Macdonald said the explosion is likely to put the attempt back by several months and possibly into the new year.

He said: “It might be possible for them to get another first stage up to Shetland relatively quickly.

“But I think integrating all that together, they’ll then want to repeat this test before they move on to a launch attempt.

“So I think it’s unlikely now that we would see an orbital launch within this year.”

Why test and launch on Unst?

With a population of around 600, Unst is the most northerly inhabited part of the UK.

This location is an advantage for certain types of satellites that require a sun-synchronous orbit, as well as the fact any jettisoned debris will not crash down on land.

Owned by husband and wife Frank and Debbie Strang, SaxaVord is a former RAF base developed into a spaceport with around £30 million of investment.

Will this affect other attempts to launch from Scotland?

RFA is not the only company that hopes to achieve an orbital satellite launch from the UK, though its plans are thought to be the most advanced.

Another German company called HyImpulse also has plans to launch from SaxaVord, as well as the US-based ABL Space Systems.

Meanwhile, another company called Orbex hopes to launch from a different spaceport located in Sutherland.

Their efforts will continue.

Virgin Orbital attempted a horizontal launch from the wing of an aircraft which took off from Cornwall in January 2023 but it failed to deliver its payload.

Is this a setback for the space industry in Scotland?

A number of Scottish companies and academic institutions are involved in manufacturing satellites or analysing data gathered from space.

The sector is believed to generate £180 million in income a year, employing more than 8,500 people.

Prof Macdonald said Scotland has a strong space industry, with launch capability being the only missing ingredient so far.

He said: “Obviously things like this get quite high profile and get a lot of interest, but I think most people within the space sector would be expecting setbacks.

“We build the capability over a number of years, and launch is just a small part of the overall space sector.”

Meanwhile, Dr Andy Campbell, founder of the Scottish Space Network, said the explosion is part of a vital learning process.

He said: “It’s easy to focus on the flames and label it a failure. However, what you’re seeing isn’t failure, it’s progress.”

He continued: “The teams have worked tirelessly to reach this point, and while the outcome wasn’t expected, it’s no less valuable.

“It will provide invaluable insights into their systems and procedures, enabling them to learn, adapt and progress.

“I’m confident we’ll soon see a successful orbital launch from UK soil.”

'More sites needed for Gypsies and travellers'

Dan O'Brien & Chloe Harcombe
BBC News, Wiltshire
]

]Getty Images

Wiltshire Council will find 128 new pitches and seven new sites for Gypsies and travellers by 2038


Creating more sites for Gypsies and travellers is "better for all involved", council officials have said.

Wiltshire Council has launched a consultation to find 128 new pitches and seven new sites in the county by 2038.

Cabinet Member strategic planning Nick Botterill said: "I'm not saying it's easy in all situations - but this is a better way of managing the situation than having random sites which may not be suitable."

A charity for the travelling community said the move comes as a "welcome positive step".



Members of the public are encouraged to have their say on the Gypsies and Travellers Development Plan at one of six consultations events.

Planned sites with properly maintained facilities and utilities are "better for all involved", by having less impact on local communities and offering better outcomes for those living there, the council said.

Travellers on official sites also contribute to local taxes.

Councillor Nick Botterill hopes public events will answer questions about the proposals



Mr Botterill continued: "There are potential tensions between residents and travellers and that's why this has to be handled in a sensitive and professional way," he said.

"Badly managed" sites in the past have caused problems, including litter and broken fencing, Mr Botterill added.

"It's incumbent on landowners, including Wiltshire Council, to ensure that doesn't happen," he said.
Getty Images
Planned sites are "better for all", the council said



Friends, Families and Travellers, a national charity that works on behalf of all Gypsy, Roma and traveller people, said: "Everyone deserves somewhere to call home, and we're hopeful that Wiltshire Council will work hard to address the need as identified in its development plan, by creating much-needed pitches and sites.

"If needed, Friends, Families and Travellers is always available for a conversation to help move things along."

The consultation period ends on 4 October.

NHS nurses and healthcare staff offered 5.5% pay rise


The Royal College of Nursing is one of the unions considering the pay offer

BBC

NHS nurses and healthcare staff across Scotland have been offered a 5.5% pay rise after what unions described as "months of pressure" to get a new deal.

Almost 170,000 staff - including midwives, paramedics, allied health professionals and porters - would get the pay increase for 2024-25, backdated to April.

The proposed deal is expected to cost £448m and is in line with an offer made to NHS workers in England.

The Scottish government said the offer, if accepted by unions, would ensure they have the best NHS pay package in the UK.

Doctors are not included in the deal becuase they negotiate their pay separately.

Colin Poolman, director of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Scotland, said staff were "rightly frustrated" that the Scottish government had "kept them waiting while the cost of living has continued to increase".

The RCN is now among the unions representing Agenda for Change staff that are considering the pay offer.

However, Mr Poolman said it had "taken months of pressure from the RCN and other health trade unions" for the Scottish government to make a pay offer.

He added: "Our pay claim, submitted in February, called for an offer that reflects increases in living costs and begins to address the historic erosion of pay.

"Our members will decide if today's announcement is enough. That process begins with RCN Scotland board members looking at the offer in detail."

The RCN Scotland director stressed: "Nursing staff are the ever-present, safety critical workforce across the whole of health and care.

"Our wages do not reflect this and still won't after today. Fair pay is vital to recruiting and retaining nursing staff, to filling the thousands of vacant nurse jobs and giving people the care they deserve."

'Dithering on pay affects morale'


Unison said it would also consider the offer, although Matt McLaughlin, who leads for the union on NHS pay, said: "It's a shame it's taken this long for NHS staff in Scotland to receive a pay offer.

"Finally, workers will have the opportunity to decide whether to accept or reject the proposed raise, which is in line with wage lifts in many other parts of the UK."

He added: "NHS staff were due a pay rise five months ago, and making them wait for so long is deeply unfair.

"This delay cannot be repeated at the next pay round. The Scottish government must recognise that dithering on pay directly affects staff morale."

Scottish government ministers have previously said they are proud that Scotland is the only nation in the UK to have avoided NHS strike action

Despite avoiding the disruption of strikes, the latest data showed NHS waiting lists in Scotland had reached a record size at the end of March, with 690,000 waits for planned outpatient or inpatient care.


Health Secretary Neil Gray said healthcare staff were the backbone of the NHS


The Scottish government wanted to build 10 new National Treatment Centres to tackle the NHS backlog by delivering an extra 40,000 procedures a year, but spending has been paused with only three open, and two more scheduled to open this year.

The Nuffield Trust found earlier this year that the number of people going private for hospital treatment had risen 80% since 2019.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said he hoped the unions would accept the offer.

“Following weeks of constructive engagement with trade union representatives, I am pleased to have agreed an offer, in recognition of the Pay Review Body recommendations, that will ensure Scotland’s nurses and NHS staff have the best pay package in the UK," he said.

“I want to express my thanks again to Scotland’s hardworking healthcare staff for their commitment and patience – they are the very backbone of the NHS and we are committed to supporting them, particularly during a cost of living crisis."

He added: "I am grateful for the continued efforts around the table and that the trade unions will now put this to their members.”

See the strike action set to hit Scotland in the coming weeks

Ross Hunter
Tue, 20 August 2024

ScotRail workers could be set for strike action next month

THE Scottish Government’s negotiations with trade unions over the summer have managed to avert some of the most high-profile strikes scheduled to hit Scotland.

Fears of another Edinburgh Festival Fringe characterised by garbage building up on the streets came to nothing after ministers found extra funding for councils (although workers have yet to accept the revised pay offer).

Strikes by college lecturers were also called off this week following talks with ministers about securing an improved pay deal.


Yet some strike action is still currently set to occur in Scotland, with some relying upon negotiations with the UK rather than the Scottish Government.
LNER

The LNER route from Edinburgh to London is a key service between the two capitals.

However, Aslef union members employed by LNER are due to strike every weekend from the end of August until mid-November in a long-running dispute over working conditions.

It comes despite UK Government Transport Secretary Louise Haigh declaring an “end” to the industrial dispute with train drivers, which has resulted in 18 days of strike action across numerous services over the past two years.

Currently, a total of 22 days of strike action by LNER drivers remain on the cards with the Edinburgh to London service expected to face severe disruption.
ScotRail

A strike ballot of ScotRail workers closed on Tuesday (August 20), with industrial expected to occur in early September if union members vote in favour.

Unions are demanding an improved pay-offer for workers on the publicly owned railway, with the current verbal offer of a 2% pay increase backdated to April and a further 1% in January 2025 being described by Unite as not “credible”.

READ MORE: ScotRail fares set for price hike as discount scheme scrapped

It comes after a temporary, slimmed-down timetable was introduced due to an ongoing pay dispute with train drivers.

While ScotRail is currently seeking to recruit new drivers, normal timetables rely upon some existing employees working overtime and on rest days to ensure full delivery.

The temporary timetable was introduced in a bid to provide more “certainty” to customers however strike action could mean even fewer services running next month.
Edinburgh Trams

Workers on the Edinburgh Trams backed strike action last week due to health concerns, including a “lack of toilet breaks”.

Unite, which represents 160 tram workers, said more than 91% of workers balloted supported strike action, which could take place within a matter of weeks.

Tram workers say timetable changes have left them without the opportunity to take toilet breaks

The union said that mismanagement had resulted in staff going hours without hydration or toilet breaks, leading to stress amongst workers and reports of health issues.

Edinburgh Trams said it was working with staff and Edinburgh City Council to find “a workable solution” to the issues.

Pay deal offered to NHS Scotland workers after 'months of waiting'

Gregor Young
Tue, 20 August 2024 at 11:35 am IN THESE TIMES

Colin Poolman, director of the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland, said staff were “rightly frustrated” that the Scottish Government had “kept them waiting while the cost of living has continued to increase" (Image: Canva)


THE Scottish Government has offered nurses and other NHS staff a 5.5% pay rise – although unions said it had taken “months of pressure” for ministers to put a deal on the table.

Colin Poolman, director of the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland, said staff were “rightly frustrated” that the Scottish Government had “kept them waiting while the cost of living has continued to increase".

The RCN is now beginning to consider the pay offer – which is in line with that made to NHS workers in England.

The rise would be paid to NHS Scotland staff, including nurses, midwives, paramedics, allied health professionals, porters and others, but would not apply to doctors, whose pay is negotiated separately.

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Almost 170,000 workers across the NHS would benefit from the rise if it was accepted, the Scottish Government said, adding the deal would see more than £448 million invested over 2024-25.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “Following weeks of constructive engagement with trade union representatives, I am pleased to have agreed an offer, in recognition of the Pay Review Body recommendations, that will ensure Scotland’s nurses and NHS staff have the best pay package in the UK.

“The unions will now consult their members and I hope it will be accepted.”

Gray added: “I want to express my thanks again to Scotland’s hardworking healthcare staff for their commitment and patience – they are the very backbone of the NHS and we are committed to supporting them, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis.

“I am grateful for the continued efforts around the table and that the trade unions will now put this to their members.”

However, Poolman said it had “taken months of pressure from the RCN and other health trade unions” for the Scottish Government to make a pay offer.

He added: “Our pay claim, submitted in February, called for an offer that reflects increases in living costs and begins to address the historic erosion of pay.

“Our members will decide if today’s announcement is enough. That process begins with RCN Scotland board members looking at the offer in detail.”

The RCN Scotland director stressed: “Nursing staff are the ever-present, safety critical workforce across the whole of health and care.

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“Our wages do not reflect this and still won’t after today. Fair pay is vital to recruiting and retaining nursing staff, to filling the thousands of vacant nurse jobs and giving people the care they deserve.”

Unison said it too would consider the offer, although Matt McLaughlin, who leads for the union on NHS pay, said: “It’s a shame it’s taken this long for NHS staff in Scotland to receive a pay offer.

“Finally, workers will have the opportunity to decide whether to accept or reject the proposed raise, which is in line with wage lifts in many other parts of the UK.”

He added: “NHS staff were due a pay rise five months ago, and making them wait for so long is deeply unfair.

“This delay cannot be repeated at the next pay round. The Scottish Government must recognise that dithering on pay directly affects staff morale.”

Grenfell disaster was ‘a crime’ – firefighters' union says


A member of the public at the memorial at the base of Grenfell Tower in London in remembrance of those who died in the Grenfell Tower fire on June 14, 2017, June 14, 2024


Andrew Murray
Tuesday, August 20, 2024

MORNINGSTAR

THE Grenfell disaster was “a crime caused by deregulation and institutional failings at the highest level,” the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said today.

Responding to official acknowledgement that residents in the west London tower block were told to “stay put” for too long during the 2017 fire, FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “It is right that stay put is reviewed for situations like Grenfell.

“But we must ask why flammable cladding is still wrapped around the homes of hundreds of thousands of people.

“The government has still not produced proper guidance on how to evacuate a high-rise tower in the middle of a fire, despite having had years to do so.”

He said the FBU had called for a review of “stay put” guidance long before the Grenfell fire, which killed 72 people and is now the subject of a protracted public inquiry.

London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe told the inquiry last week that residents had been told to remain in their flats for too long after the fire took hold.

But Mr Wrack said: “The Grenfell Tower fire was a crime caused by deregulation and institutional failings at the highest level.

“By the time of the fire, the residents of the tower had warned on multiple occasions that their building was unsafe.

“There were various warnings over many years about the dangers of cladding fires, including from the Fire Brigades Union.

“It is a national scandal that our warnings were ignored.

“Firefighters at Grenfell were forced to work under impossible conditions, lacking appropriate preparation, planning and training.

“These high-level failings of policy continue to this day.”

Mpox ‘not the new Covid’: WHO

AFP Published August 20, 2024

Patients await consultation at the treatment centre for Mpox, an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus that causes a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever, in Munigi, Nyiragongo territory, near Goma in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo August 19, 2024.—Reuters

The mpox outbreak is not another Covid-19, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday, because much is already known about the virus and the means to control it.

While more research is needed on the Clade 1b strain which triggered the UN agency into declaring a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), the spread of mpox can be reined in, the WHO’s European director Hans Kluge said.\\\
In July 2022, the WHO declared a PHEIC over the international outbreak of the less severe Clade 2b strain of mpox, which mostly affected gay and bisexual men. The alarm was lifted in May 2023.

“Mpox is not the new Covid,” Kluge insisted.

“We know how to control mpox. And, in the European region, the steps needed to eliminate its transmission altogether,” he told a media briefing in Geneva, via video link.

“Two years ago, we controlled mpox in Europe thanks to the direct engagement with the most affected communities.

“We put in place robust surveillance; we thoroughly investigated new cases contacts; and we provided sound public health advice.

“Behaviour change, non-discriminatory public health action, and mpox vaccination contributed to controlling the outbreak.”

Kluge said the risk to the general population was low.

“Are we going to go in lockdown in the WHO European region, it’s another Covid-19? The answer is clearly: ‘no’,” he said.

Kluge said the predominant route of transmission remained close to skin-to-skin contact.

But he said it was possible that someone in the acute phase of mpox infection, especially with blisters in the mouth, may transmit the virus to close contact by droplets, in circumstances such as in the home or hospitals.

“The modes of transmission are still a bit unclear. More research is required.”

WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said the WHO was not recommending the use of masks.

“We are not recommending mass vaccination. We are recommending to use vaccines in outbreak settings for the groups who are most at risk,” he added.

The WHO declared an international health emergency on August 14, concerned by the rise in cases of Clade 1b in the Democratic Republic of Congo and its spread to nearby countries.