Unison Birmingham Branch

04/10/2026

❤️✊ A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME TODAY! ✊❤️

What a day. The sun was shining, the atmosphere was incredible, and the streets were full of people coming together, marching, dancing, chanting and celebrating our shared determination to stand united.

74+ different groups came together today — trade unions, faith groups, community organisations, LGBTQ+ groups, Palestine solidarity groups, campaigners and so many individuals who simply wanted to stand together.

And yes, the fascists did show up. But fewer than 20 of them were completely drowned out and overwhelmed by the huge numbers standing together for unity.

Today showed something really powerful: the West Midlands is united, diverse and determined to stand together against racism and division.

To everyone who marched, rallied, spoke, performed, stewarded, organised, donated, brought a banner, brought a friend or simply turned up:

THANK YOU. ❤️

This is what community looks like. This is what solidarity looks like. This is the West Midlands standing together. ✊❤️

03/10/2026

02/10/2026

This Sunday 4 October

01/10/2026

The triple lock debate is built around a pensioner who mostly doesn't exist.
The perception: the full new State Pension of £12,548 a year, topped up by a comfortable private pension.
The data: 59% of pensioners are still on the old basic State Pension, where the full rate is £9,615 a year. 38% have no occupational pension at all. 13% live on the State Pension and benefits alone.
And the next generation has less. Final salary schemes are closing. The median pension pot accessed last year was around £20k. Turned into an annuity, a guaranteed pension for life bought with the pot, pays roughly £1,500 a year.
Burnham's pension change is being debated for the pensioner in the headlines. It lands on the one in the data.

17/09/2026

14/09/2026

TUC backs a new economic settlement