Greater Manchester Pension Fund is the biggest investor by far in fossil fuels of any local government pension scheme in the country. Environmental groups are calling on GMPF to divest from fossil fuels, to help tackle the climate emergency.
Burnham brands ‘fire and rehire’ practices ‘industrial blackmail’
Andy Burnham met Go North West bosses last week to discuss service disruption.
While careful to distinguish the industrial dispute between GNW and its drivers from other instances of ‘fire and rehire’ practices, the mayor says issuing Section 188 notices to renegotiate workers’ employment contracts is tantamount to ‘industrial blackmail’.
Manchester bus drivers poised to ballot on strike action as Unite and Go North West talks collapse
Unite will ballot 485 bus drivers on strike action if Go North West does not return to the negotiating table. The decision to consider balloting was made in response to the bus company announcing it will no longer negotiate with the union and will instead consult drivers individually.
Burnham urged to act against government’s proposed planning system changes
Open letter calls on Andy Burnham, and the leaders of the conurbation’s ten boroughs, to “intervene” in the government’s plans to change the UK planning system, which the campaigners call an “emergency for communities and local authorities across England.”
Pressure grows on Andy Burnham to scrap plans for school-based police officers
Deputy metro mayor Beverley Hughes insists SBPOs will create “positive relationships between young people and the police”. Campaigners say police presence in schools causes “harm”, urging the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to “divest from penal approaches”.
Greater Manchester to proceed with franchising bus network
Bringing buses under public control is ‘better value for money’ for the city region in spite of ‘severe’ impact of Covid-19 on bus patronage and revenues, Greater Manchester leaders hear at a meeting this week.
Manchester’s teachers and Co-op Academies Trust clash over school safety
Workers at Co-op Academy Manchester write to headteacher and the Co-op Academies Trust calling for school closures and better working conditions, while Andy Burnham lends support for partial closures under a “tier system” during the winter.
Urgent need to prioritise anti-racism in Greater Manchester schools
Report highlights racism in Manchester schools with problems of lack of teacher racial literacy, a too ‘white and narrow’ curriculum, institutionally racist police in vulnerable schools and outdated school policies.
Manchester teachers union slams Burnham for putting more police in schools
Motion passed by teachers union condemns plans for school-based officers and says evidence supporting their use is ‘non-existent’.
‘Carry on asking questions’ Andy Burnham tells primary school reporters ignored by Boris Johnson
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and children’s commissioner of England answered Manchester Media Club mini-reporters’ questions in live press conferences and encouraged them to keep trying to have their voices heard. Mini-reporters from Greater Manchester interviewed Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester mayor and Anne Longfield, children’s commissioner for England, about their post-pandemic future. The six […]