Angela Rayner has been reinforcing the Labour Party’s commitment to ban zero-hour contracts if elected into government.
The Deputy Leader and MP for Ashton-under-Lyne is currently up in Dundee for the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) conference, but ahead of addressing crowds, she has speaking out about Labour’s pledge to scrap all zero-hour contracts as part a “new deal for working people” that would take effect if the Party is elected.
Labour claims its ambitions is to “ensure a fair day’s pay for a day’s work” is delivered if Keir Starmer is elected as Prime Minister.
One of the Party’s core aims as part of the New Deal for Working People is to increase pay amid the rising cost of living crisis and bring about an end to the “self-defeating low wage, low investment, and low productivity cycle” that it claims the country has been “trapped in for the last decade”.
But as well as committing to bettering pay, Labour has also promised that it will “strengthen the protections afforded to all workers” by banning zero-hours contracts.
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Labour promises to ban ‘insecure’ zero-hour contracts if elected / Credit: Pxfuel | WallpaperFlare
It has also pledged to “outlawing bogus self-employment”, and ending the qualifying periods for basic rights, which it says often leaves working people having to wait up to two years for basic protections.
Angela Rayner says Scotland, in particular, has seen an “explosion” in the number of zero-hour contracts over the last decade – with Labour hitting out at the Conservatives and SNP, and pointing out that the number has risen from roughly 46,000 between October and December 2013, to about 94,000 during the same period last year.
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“It’s leaving working people with insecure hours and no guarantee when their next pay cheque will arrive,” Angela Rayner admitted ahead of her speech at the STUC conference today.
Scotland’s explosion in insecure work has seen zero hours contracts double in a decade.
Labour’s New Deal for Working People will ban zero hours contracts, safeguard rights and raise standards for all.
“This disgraceful surge in insecure work risks a race to the bottom. Zero-hours working practices often go hand-in-hand with low pay, and working women are disproportionately affected by the scourge of insecure work, while one in 10 young working Scots is now on a zero-hours contract.
“While the Tories and the SNP have failed to deliver the crackdown they promised, the next Labour government will ban zero-hours contracts, safeguard rights at work and raise standards for all. With our New Deal for Working People, Labour has a plan to ensure people have access to fair and secure work.
“Labour will make Scotland work for working people.”
Featured Image – Gabrielle Henderson (via Unsplash)
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Full list of road closures set to be in place for Manchester Day 2024
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is back for 2024 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Saturday 27 July, and as always, it’s set to be “the day summer officially starts” in the city centre – with a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian” on the cards.
The theme of this year’s annual event is ‘Let The Games Begin’, and it’s inspired by the international summer of sport, just 2024 Olympics kicks off over in Paris.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Some city centre roads will be closed on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July for Manchester Day.
These will include:
🛣️Deansgate 🛣️St Ann Street 🛣️St Mary’s Gate 🛣️Market Street 🛣️King Street
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 21, 2024
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Manchester Day is back for 2024 to celebrate the international summer of sport / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester Day 2024 – Road Closures
Saturday 27 July
From 6am to 11:59pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street) – access will be maintained to Marks and Spencer’s car park and Number One Deansgate.
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street (Cross Street to Deansgate) – no access for deliveries.
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 6pm on Friday 26 July to 11:59pm on Saturday 27 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street)
St Ann Street – including the bays outside St Ann’s Church (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Southgate (St Mary’s Street to King Street West)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Victoria Street (Cathedral Approach to Deansgate)
Todd Street (Corporation Street to Station Approach)
King Street (Spring Gardens to Southgate)
South King Street (Ridgefield to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street West (Deansgate to St Mary’s Parsonage)
St James’s Square (John Dalton Street to South King Street)
Cross Street (King Street to Corporation Street)
Museum Street (Peter Street to Windmill Street)
Marsden Street (Cheapside to Brown Street)
Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.
Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete
Emily Sergeant
Work currently underway on the Rochdale via Oldham line is expected to take several weeks to complete.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has now “slowed”, and this means that detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works have been able to get underway.
In order for trams to run again on the crucial line from the city centre to the two major Greater Manchester towns, TfGM says that a small section of track has to be moved back – also known as ‘slewed’ – into its original position.
The overhead line poles also need to be repaired too, the transport operator revealed.
Rochdale line update
Land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has slowed, enabling detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works to get underway.
To get trams running again, a small section of track has to be moved back into its original position… pic.twitter.com/byERjitdi1
Unfortunately though, due to the “complex” nature of these works, and despite the fact that TfGM says it’s actively looking to “accelerate” the repairs, the project is expected to take up to five weeks to complete in full.
On top of this, the detailed ground investigations will also establish whether any further work to strengthen foundations beneath the track will be needed at a later date.
TfGM has apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete / Credit: TfGM
Speaking on the scale of works currently underway, and how long he expects them to continue for, Pete Sommers, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “I’m sorry for the impact this is having, and will continue to have, on people’s journeys.
“We are working to get trams running through the area again, but this remains a complex and challenging issue and it could still be a few weeks before this happens.
“We will of course keep passengers updated, and I’d encourage people to check our social media channels and website for the latest information and advice.”