84-653: Arriva Yorkshire is a major bus operator providing services primarily within and across West Yorkshire , although it also provides service in some parts of South Yorkshire , East Riding of Yorkshire and southern areas of North Yorkshire . It is a subsidiary of Arriva UK Bus . Arriva Yorkshire was formed as a combination of mergers of previous companies based in West and North Yorkshire. In 1904 Yorkshire (West Riding) Electric Tramways began operating tram services in Wakefield followed in 1906 by Castleford . In November 1923
168-429: A Queen's Counsel , which was expected to report by the end of March 2022, and another by the accounting firm Grant Thornton. In April 2022, a raid was conducted by HM Revenue and Customs and South Wales police on Unite offices to investigate allegations of bribery, fraud, and money laundering related to the project. As of December 2022, the contents of both inquiries has not been released, as Unite has referred
252-441: A 4.1% pay increase, which was below the 'real inflation rate' of 11.1%. No Arriva bus services operated in the region throughout the duration of the strike. Arriva Yorkshire apologised to customers for inconvenience caused by the strike, claiming their pay increase offer was "fair". Bus services briefly resumed on 2 July when the strike was suspended to allow union members to be balloted on an increased pay offer from Arriva, however
336-445: A Parliamentary committee, Unite representatives including deputy general secretary Jack Dromey and national food and drink officer Jennie Formby gave evidence to an inquiry about the takeover, saying that Kraft had delayed meeting union representatives. Formby later criticised the company for its compensation of £40 million to its outgoing chief executive Todd Stitzer . The Labour Party later announced an election proposal to raise
420-552: A West Yorkshire derby even if the rivalry is not as great as other rivalries between teams in the area. The main rugby union club in the county is Yorkshire Carnegie . Elland Road is the largest stadium in the area, hosting Leeds United . The Headingley Stadium , a stadium complex also in Leeds , consists of a cricket and a rugby ground. The cricket ground is home of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club and
504-428: A candidate, running on a platform of unification and staying for only a single term of office. Other candidates included Hicks, Les Bayliss and Gail Cartmail . McCluskey was considered the left wing candidate, running on a platform of uniting the union and opposing cuts. Bayliss and Cartmail were also assistant general secretaries, with Bayliss criticising the union's handling of its dispute with British Airways. McCluskey
588-445: A dog collar and lead. A driver had refused them travel and made comments to them, allegedly saying: "We don't let freaks and dogs like you on." The company confirmed the couple were refused travel on two occasions due to "fears for passenger safety". In a statement the company addressed the issue, stating that the dog lead was potentially dangerous. Arriva also said they would be writing to Mr Graves "to apologise for any distress caused by
672-596: A hotel and conference centre in Birmingham as costs increased during its construction beyond the initially projected £57 million. Graham told officials in February 2022 that recent valuations were about £28 million. At the time of the investment decision McCluskey had said, it was a "sensible investment of members' money, resulting in a world-class facility that will return an income for our union for generations to come". Graham ordered two independent inquiries, one led by
756-484: A joint general secretary for a fixed term until December 2010. Simpson stood for re-election as the incumbent, and Hicks successfully sought nomination to contest the election. Other candidates included two regional secretaries, Laurence Faircloth and Kevin Coyne, and a national officer, Paul Reuter. Faircloth stood down after the close of nominations and endorsed Simpson. A total of 159,272 voting slips were returned, out of
840-509: A new rulebook for the union to a postal ballot of members during July 2008, which was accepted. In 2008, there was a rooftop hunger strike at Unite's Transport House building in Belfast . The participants were formerly shop stewards of the Transport and General Workers Union , now a section of Unite. The dispute was over legal fees and compensation for an unfair dismissal action against
924-458: A new workers' party if Labour lost the 2015 general election . In July 2015, Unite endorsed Jeremy Corbyn 's campaign in the 2015 Labour Party leadership election . In December 2016, McCluskey announced his resignation in order to contest an election for the post, which was held in April 2017. He was challenged by Unite's West Midlands Regional Secretary Gerard Coyne, who accused him of "putting
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#17327935924481008-421: A payment of over £500,000. Due to the controversy this caused within the union, members voted in favour of new measures designed to limit future payments on departure in a policy conference in 2012. The union began offering lower price membership to students, the unemployed and single parents in 2011. In the same year, the dispute with British Airways was resolved. In the wake of cuts to public spending made by
1092-475: A population of 2.3 million, making it the fourth-largest ceremonial county by population. Large parts of West Yorkshire are urban; many settlements are part of the West Yorkshire built-up area , which has a population of 1.78 million. The largest settlements are Leeds (516,298), Bradford (366,187), Huddersfield (162,949), and Wakefield (109,766). The west of the county is more rural. The county
1176-412: A possible 1,096,511 voters, a turnout of 14.5%. Simpson won the election with 37.7% of the total votes cast, and remained in the post of joint general secretary until December 2010. The first election for a single general secretary of the union took place in 2010. Both Simpson and Woodley announced that they would retire. The union's assistant general secretary, McCluskey, announced that he would stand as
1260-652: A recognised financial centre, with many banks , building societies and insurance companies having offices in the city. Wakefield has also attracted many service-based industries, in particular call centres . Two of the big four supermarkets are from West Yorkshire. Morrisons is based in Bradford, while Asda is based in Leeds. West Yorkshire grew up around several industries. Wakefield, Castleford, Pontefract and South and East Leeds were traditional coal mining areas. Bradford , Halifax and Huddersfield grew through
1344-514: Is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire to the south, Greater Manchester to the south-west, and Lancashire to the west. The city of Leeds is the largest settlement. The county, established in 1974, has an area of 2,029 km (783 sq mi) and
1428-569: Is also a popular nightlife destination domestically, which is not surprising given its accessibility and central location. All cities are well connected via rail and road, Leeds railway station is an important hub seeing 29.7 million passengers 2015–16, making it the fourth busiest station in the UK after London stations, Birmingham New Street and Glasgow Central . It is the busiest in Northern England. Signposted walks follow rivers and
1512-560: Is also big in West Yorkshire. The teams who are, or have been, in the Super League are Bradford Bulls , Castleford Tigers , Halifax Panthers , Huddersfield Giants , Leeds Rhinos , and Wakefield Trinity . Other rugby league clubs in West Yorkshire include Batley Bulldogs , Dewsbury Rams , Featherstone Rovers , Hunslet Hawks and Keighley Cougars . Any combination of these teams playing against each other would be called
1596-843: Is also popular, as is the Bradford Alhambra , St Georges Hall and the Media and Science Museum in Bradford. Leeds is the most popular shopping destination in West Yorkshire, probably Yorkshire and rivals Manchester having claim to Briggate, the Headrow, Trinity Leeds , Victoria Gate, the Victoria and Northern Quarters, the biggest indoor market in Europe and the White Rose Centre , as well as many 'first outside of London' labels such as Harvey Nichols and Victoria's Secret . Leeds
1680-449: Is an elevated ridge with smoothly rolling scenery, dissected by dry valleys. Here, there is a large number of country houses and estates with parkland, estate woodlands, plantations and game coverts. The rivers Aire and Calder drain the area, flowing from west to east. Wakefield's Parish Church was raised to cathedral status in 1888 and after the elevation of Wakefield to diocese, Wakefield Council immediately sought city status and this
1764-593: Is expected to support her on a platform more focused on workplaces than internal Labour Party politics. Gerard Coyne, who stood against McCluskey in the 2017 general secretary election, announced his candidacy in January 2021. He is a supporter of Labour leader Keir Starmer. The election was called in April 2021, with nominations closing in June, voting held in July and the result announced on 26 August. The threshold to join
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#17327935924481848-648: Is governed by five metropolitan boroughs : City of Bradford , Calderdale , Kirklees , City of Leeds and City of Wakefield , which collaborate through West Yorkshire Combined Authority . The western part of West Yorkshire is in the South Pennines , and contains a small part of the Peak District National Park . It is characterised by steep valleys and is the source of the River Calder , which flows past Wakefield before meeting
1932-410: Is one of the two largest trade unions in the UK, with over 1.2 million members in construction, manufacturing, transport, logistics and other sectors. The general secretary of Unite is Sharon Graham , who was elected on 25 August 2021 with 46,696 votes (approx 3% of Unite's claimed membership) on a turnout of 124,127 (approx 9% of claimed membership), with her term beginning on 26 August 2021. Unite
2016-504: The 2015 general election . Steve Hart, the union's political director, stated that Unite was supporting 41 candidates. There was particular controversy over the 2013 Labour Party Falkirk candidate selection . Unite claimed that it had not broken any Labour Party rules or the law with its selection campaign. Ed Miliband , then Leader of the Labour Party , referred the matter for police investigation, however Police Scotland found there
2100-571: The Aire , which flows through Leeds, near Castleford . The landscape becomes flatter in the east, and the county boundary is on the edge of the Vale of York . Remnants of strong coal, wool and iron ore industries remain in the county, having attracted people over the centuries, and this can be seen in the buildings and architecture. Several railways and the M1 , M621 , M606 , A1(M) and M62 motorways traverse
2184-651: The Cameron–Clegg coalition , McCluskey threatened strike action to disrupt the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Also in protest against cuts, Unite supported a successful motion at the Trades Union Congress in 2012 to consider holding a general strike . In 2013, leaked documents alleged that Unite was running a covert campaign to ensure its candidates were selected to represent the Labour Party in
2268-647: The Halifax Dukes and the Bradford Dukes teams. Odsal Stadium used to host BriSCA stock cars. Leeds has a hill climb event at Harewood speed Hillclimb . Unite the Union Unite the Union , commonly known as Unite , is a British and Irish trade union which was formed on 1 May 2007 by the merger of Amicus and the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU). Along with Unison , Unite
2352-736: The Leeds Supertram was proposed but was later cancelled after the withdrawal of government funding. Public transport is run under the authority of West Yorkshire Metro . In October 2021, £830 million of funding was announced for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to develop mass transit for the region. Additionally, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority won its bids for the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme and Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) scheme,
2436-651: The Pendle district of Lancashire. The civil parish of Saddleworth in Oldham was the only part of West Riding of Yorkshire to be moved into the county of Greater Manchester. The villages in the parish border the towns of Huddersfield and Holmfirth . There is a strong identity debate with Saddleworth residents who still maintain close connections with Yorkshire including the Saddleworth White Rose Society. The West Yorkshire Act 1980 (c. xiv)
2520-610: The West Yorkshire Combined Authority . The first Mayor of West Yorkshire , Tracy Brabin , was elected on 6 May 2021, following a devolution deal announced by the government in the March 2020 budget . The conurbation of Bradford, Dewsbury, Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds and Wakefield makes up the West Yorkshire Built-up Area , which is the fourth-largest in the United Kingdom and the largest within
2604-583: The West Yorkshire Police (governed by the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner ) continue to operate on this basis. Although the county council was abolished, West Yorkshire continues to form a metropolitan and ceremonial county with a Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire and a High Sheriff . West Yorkshire contains green belt interspersed throughout the county, surrounding the West Yorkshire Urban Area. It
Arriva Yorkshire - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-581: The historic county boundaries of Yorkshire . In Parliament, 13 out of 22 of West Yorkshire's MPs are Labour and 9 are Conservative. At local level, the councils are generally divided, apart from the Wakefield district, which has long been one of the safest Labour councils in the country. Some services are provided across the county by West Yorkshire Joint Services and the West Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service are also county-wide. The county borders, going anticlockwise from
2772-536: The BBC television series Happy Valley were filmed in Huddersfield; in addition to exteriors, some of the studio filming was done at North Light Film Studios at Brookes Mill, Huddersfield. As well, interiors for the BBC's Jamaica Inn , for the BBC's Remember Me and for ITV series Black Work , were also filmed at the studios. More recently, many of the exteriors of the BBC series Jericho were filmed at
2856-540: The Labour leadership before the interests of Unite members". Coyne, a member of the Unite Now faction, was widely viewed as a centre-left figure within the union, has a close relationship with the Labour Party and had the backing of the deputy leader Tom Watson . Ian Allinson later announced that he would stand as a "grass-roots socialist" candidate. Concerns were expressed about breaches of data protection law during
2940-573: The Labour leadership before the interests of Unite members". McCluskey won the election, and Coyne was suspended from his position in the union. In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, several hundred bus drivers working for Go North West in Manchester went on strike for over two months in the longest strike in Unite's history. In August 2021, McCluskey announced his retirement as leader. In
3024-512: The Union was formed on 1 May 2007 by the merger of Amicus , a general private-sector union, and the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU). The general secretaries of the previous unions, Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley respectively, served as joint general secretaries of the new union. The executive councils of the predecessor unions became a joint executive council which served until elections could be held for an executive council of Unite. The new council took office on 1 May 2008. They put
3108-849: The West Riding Automobile Company began operating bus services in West Riding . Yorkshire Woollen District Transport, meanwhile, operated services around Dewsbury . Both companies were acquired by the National Bus Company , along with Selby & District with the companies maintaining separate identities. In 1987 West Riding Automobile and Yorkshire Woollen District were sold in a management buyout to Caldaire, under whose ownership they traded as West Riding Buses and Yorkshire Buses respectively. In 1994 South Yorkshire Road Transport, based in Pontefract ,
3192-476: The announcement had not been shared with them in advance. British Airways suspended staff for sharing lists of pilots who had agreed to break a potential strike. Unite's assistant general secretary, Len McCluskey , said that some members had been suspended for being friends on Facebook with other attendants being investigated. In a strike ballot, more than 80% of cabin crew members of Unite voted to strike. The High Court of Justice granted an injunction against
3276-471: The area although some remnants of the pre industrial landscape and semi-natural vegetation still survive. However, many areas are affected by urban fringe pressures creating fragmented and downgraded landscapes and ever present are urban influences from major cities, smaller industrial towns and former mining villages. In the Magnesian Limestone belt to the east of the Leeds and Wakefield areas
3360-443: The ballot was increased from 50 to around 150 by a combination of an increase in the percentage of branches required to nominate a candidate and a less restrictive definition of what counts as a branch. The change was criticised as a "stitch-up" by critics of McCluskey, because it gave more power to union officials who had sole discretion to request nomination packs for newly-created branches. The nomination period closed on 7 June, with
3444-626: The blog The Skwawkbox and the former general secretary of the Labour Party Jennie Formby . Turner was a member of the Trotskyist Militant group in the Labour Party but remained in Labour when many Militant members left to form the Socialist Party . Turner was seen as more willing to work with the Labour leader Keir Starmer , whereas Beckett said that Starmer needed "to be held to account". Turner
Arriva Yorkshire - Misplaced Pages Continue
3528-1016: The building was suffering serious structural problems. A majority of the site is planned to be demolished, with buses moving temporarily to Wakefield bus station and Arriva's Castleford, Dewsbury and Heckmondwike depots, while the subsidiary's staff have also relocated to Wakefield bus station. Arriva Yorkshire uses the Sapphire brand to differentiate premium services, with buses fitted with E-leather seats, free WiFi access, charging points, and audio-visual next stop announcements. Routes 110, from Wakefield to Leeds, 106, from Wakefield to Hall Green, 163 and 166, from Castleford to Leeds, 229, from Huddersfield to Leeds, and route 415, from Selby to York, are branded Sapphire. Arriva Yorkshire also formerly ran buses in Arriva Max branding, featuring similar premium features to Sapphire-branded buses. Services were also marketed as "Grand Yorkshire Connections", emphasising
3612-418: The calling of an early general secretary election in 2013. Unite Now campaigns for greater transparency in the union and are critical of the unions centralised hierarchical decision making structures. They campaign for greater financial transparency, a move away from the current centralised executive powers with a more independent Executive Council which has set term limits. Not aligned to any political section of
3696-403: The campaign, leading to Unite's assistant general secretary for legal affairs producing a report on the allegations. Coyne was suspended from his position as West Midlands general secretary by the union on 20 April, after voting had finished, the day ballot counting began. It claimed that Coyne had brought the union into disrepute. The following day it was announced that Len McCluskey had won
3780-461: The centre came to £112 million. The union is led by a general secretary, elected by a ballot of members. Jerry Hicks , a former member of Amicus's executive, issued a legal challenge over Simpson's extension of tenure. In October 2008, Unite's executive council announced an election for the joint general secretary for the Amicus section. The election took place from January to March 2009 to elect
3864-556: The certification officer was dismissed in October 2018 on all ten counts, and the officer found that Coyne had included misleading information in some of his election literature. In July 2020, McCluskey said he would stand down in 2021, with an early election to select a new general secretary. The United Left faction held a primary to decide which candidate to support in the election, considering two assistant general secretaries: Howard Beckett and Steve Turner. Beckett has been endorsed by
3948-513: The city of Bradford is well known for its large concentration of British Pakistanis , the highest by percentage in the country. Leeds and Kirklees also have large British Pakistani populations. Kirklees also hosts a large population of British Indians . West Yorkshire is home to a large Eastern European population, particularly British Poles . Ethnic minorities totalled to over 21% of West Yorkshire's population in 2011. Leeds has since attracted investment from financial institutions, to become
4032-453: The county. West Yorkshire County Council was abolished in 1986 and its five districts effectively became unitary authorities . The metropolitan county, covering an area of 2,029 square kilometres (783 sq mi), continues to exist in law and as a geographic frame of reference. Since 1 April 2014, West Yorkshire has been a combined authority area, with the local authorities pooling some functions over transport and regeneration as
4116-503: The development of woollen mills. Leeds' traditional industry was the manufacturing of cloth while heavier engineering industries facilitated growth in South Leeds. The Heavy Woollen District covered towns such as Dewsbury , Batley , Morley , Ossett , Cleckheaton and Heckmondwike . The woollen and cloth industries declined throughout the twentieth century. The Rhubarb Triangle is wholly in West Yorkshire and still produces
4200-547: The election. On 2 June Coyne announced a legal challenge against the result. In December 2017 it was announced that Jeffrey Burke, an employment law specialist and a retired high court judge, has been appointed to examine both sides of the case by the Trades Union Certification Officer . The certification officer rejected Coyne's claim that the election should be declared null and void. After detailed investigations, Coyne's further complaint to
4284-688: The escarpment of the Pennines, which is scaled in meandering stages and tunnels by the recreational Leeds-Liverpool Canal and Rochdale Canal , navigable by barge, canoe or kayak. Other tourism features include abbeys, castles, countryside walks, landscapes, picturesque villages, architecture, stately homes, tea rooms , real ale breweries, farmer's markets, restaurants and hiking in villages including Hebden Bridge , Ilkley with its scenic riversides, cherry blossoms and suspension bridge and equally in Wharfedale, Otley . West Yorkshire lies in arguably
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#17327935924484368-460: The headquarters of Wakefield City Council. The county initially had a two-tier structure of local government with a strategic-level county council and five districts providing most services. In 1986, throughout England the metropolitan county councils were abolished. The functions of the county council were devolved to the boroughs; joint-boards covering fire, police and public transport; and to other special joint arrangements. Organisations such as
4452-583: The land crops up in the such rhymes and folklore as On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at , date unknown, the early 19th century novels and poems of the Brontë family often in and around Haworth and long-running light comedy-drama Last of the Summer Wine in the 20th century. The carboniferous rocks of the Yorkshire coalfield further east have produced a rolling landscape with hills, escarpments and broad valleys in
4536-458: The larger network of branded routes. This branding is being phased out as a result of the rebranding of the wider Arriva operation in 2017. The third sub brand used by Arriva was the high-frequency Frequenta, formerly used on routes 148 and 149 between Wakefield, Pontefract and Knottingley, with services timetabled to run every 10 minutes. A widely reported case in 2008 concerned a gothic couple, Dani Graves and his fiancée Tasha Maltby, who wears
4620-477: The matter to the police citing "very serious concerns about potential criminality". In October 2024, news reporting revealed that the Serious Fraud Office was investigating the construction project. According to The Guardian, employment tribunal documents indicated that Unite executives believe that the true value of the building had been misrepresented to the leadership team. The final cost for
4704-935: The most strategic part of Yorkshire: the M62 , M1 and the A1(M) pass through the county, as well as the internal urban motorways in Leeds and Bradford . West Yorkshire has two mainline railway stations, Leeds and Wakefield Westgate . Leeds railway station is the only Network Rail principal station in Yorkshire and North East England , and one of only three in the North of England along with Manchester Piccadilly and Liverpool Lime Street . Other important railway stations in West Yorkshire include Bradford Interchange , Bradford Forster Square , Huddersfield , Halifax , Dewsbury , Keighley and Shipley . West Yorkshire also has Yorkshire's largest airport, Leeds Bradford Airport . Unlike South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire has no light transit system;
4788-552: The nearby Rockingstone Quarry and some interior work was done at North Light Film Studios. Urban tourism varies. National interest features include sporting stadia, museums, theatre and galleries. Royal Armouries is in Leeds, as is the Leeds Playhouse (formerly the West Yorkshire Playhouse), Opera North and The Grand Theatre. The First Direct Arena in Leeds seats around 15,000 people. Sheffield Arena
4872-463: The northern Peak District extends into the south west of Kirklees. Large-scale industry, housing, public and commercial buildings of differing heights, transport routes and open countryside conjoin. The dense network of roads, canals and railways and urban development, confined by valleys creates dramatic interplay of views between settlements and the surrounding hillsides, as shaped the first urban-rural juxtapositions of David Hockney . Where most rural
4956-445: The numbers of valid nominations being: On 18 June, Howard Beckett withdrew and endorsed Turner, with both issuing a joint statement that Beckett would support Turner on a blended policy manifesto. Graham was elected on 25 August, with the support of 46,696 members (approximately 3% of Unite's claimed membership, with her term as general secretary starting on 26 August. During 2012, despite wider falling trade union membership and
5040-634: The offer was rejected by 53.7% of union members, with the strike resuming on 13 July. Bus services would then resume two days later in what Unite called "an act of good faith" as the union began negotiations on a new pay offer from Arriva, promising 14 days notice of resumed strike action. As of December 2017, the Arriva Yorkshire fleet consisted of 334 buses. The company operates buses from four depots in Castleford , Dewsbury , Heckmondwike and Selby . West Yorkshire West Yorkshire
5124-438: The outer fringes of the Pennines. In this landscape there is widespread evidence of both current and former industrial activity. There are numerous derelict or converted mine buildings and recently landscaped former spoil heaps. The scenery is a mixture of built up areas, industrial land with some dereliction, and farmed open country. Ribbon developments along transport routes including canal, road and rail are prominent features of
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#17327935924485208-431: The product and legal backing against other products made outside the area using the name. Other protected names include Stilton cheese , Champagne and Parma Ham. The last pit in West Yorkshire to close was Hay Royds Colliery at Denby Dale in 2012 after a flood. Several films and television series have been filmed in West Yorkshire's historic areas, particularly around the town of Halifax . For example, portions of
5292-935: The rugby ground is home to Leeds Rhinos. In Huddersfield , the John Smith's Stadium is home to Huddersfield Town and Huddersfield Giants. In Bradford , Valley Parade is the home of Bradford City, whereas the Odsal Stadium is the home of the Bradford Bulls. Other stadiums include Wheldon Road (Castleford), The Shay (Halifax), Belle Vue (Wakefield), Mount Pleasant (Batley), Crown Flatt (Dewsbury), Post Office Road (Featherstone), John Charles Centre for Sport (Hunslet) and Cougar Park (Keighley). There are two racecourses in West Yorkshire: Pontefract and Wetherby . West Yorkshire also used to host regular speedway meetings, having
5376-451: The separate K-Line bus company. In September 2013, Arriva took full ownership of Centrebus Holdings and K-Line with the former rebranded Yorkshire Tiger and the latter as Tiger Blue. When Yorkshire Tiger was sold to Transdev Blazefield , routes 231 and 232 were not included and transferred to Arriva Yorkshire. In September 2024, Arriva Yorkshire took emergency action to permanently close its head office and depot in Wakefield after discovering
5460-475: The shareholder majority required to approve a takeover to two-thirds, which Unite had lobbied for. During the 2010 United Kingdom general election , Unite were the largest donor to the Labour Party , giving them £1 million. The first election for a single general secretary of the union was held in 2010, with McCluskey, an assistant general secretary considered on the left-wing of the union, being elected. Former joint general secretary Derek Simpson received
5544-428: The strike on the basis that Unite had not informed its members about the number of spoilt ballots in a previous dispute. In total, there were twenty-two days of strike during the dispute. In November 2009, Kraft Foods Inc. bid to purchase the confectionary company Cadbury . Unite represented its staff, and sought assurance about the status of jobs in the event of the purchase. Kraft went on to purchase Cadbury. In
5628-561: The subsequent election, Sharon Graham was chosen to replace him as the union's general secretary. In September 2021, Unite put forward a motion at the Labour Party conference calling for a £15 an hour minimum wage. The motion was passed by Labour Party members. However, Keir Starmer and his leadership team have not indicated a preference for or against the motion. The union joined postal workers strikes in 2022 after members at Royal Mail voted for industrial action over pay and job cuts. During McCluskey's tenure, Unite spent £98 million on
5712-507: The successful ZEBRA funding will see the introduction of between 179 and 245 zero-emission electric buses with the necessary infrastructure whilst the BSIP plan will give the West Yorkshire Combined Authority £70 million out of a desired £168 million to implement the improvements outlined in the authority's BSIP. Major football clubs in West Yorkshire include Leeds United , Huddersfield Town , and Bradford City . Rugby league
5796-469: The tough economic climate, Unite increased its membership by more than 50,000 members. The union claimed a membership of 1.2 million in August 2021. There are a number of factions within Unite. Unite Now is a movement established in 2011 which is "moderate left". It presents itself as an independent movement for lay members, activists and officers. Supported McCluskey in his first election but they opposed
5880-525: The union it has grown in influence within lay activist ranks, officers and key manufacturing sectors of Unite. United Left, the main left-wing grouping, is mostly made up of members on the left of the Labour Party , but also includes members of other political parties such as the Socialist Party and the Communist Party of Britain , as well as those who belong to no political party. The United Left supported Len McCluskey in his elections. The faction
5964-626: The vegetable in considerable quantities. Twelve farmers who farm within the Rhubarb Triangle applied to have the name "Yorkshire forced rhubarb" added to the list of foods and drinks that have their names legally protected by the European Commission's Protected Food Name scheme. The application was successful and the farmers in the Rhubarb Triangle were awarded Protected Designation of Origin status (PDO) in February 2010. Food protected status accesses European funding to promote
6048-585: The way this matter was handled". In January 2017, a wheelchair user was denied access to a Arriva Yorkshire bus by the driver, because a pushchair was occupying the wheelchair space. The incident occurred days after the Supreme Court ruled that drivers should prioritise the space for wheelchair users. In May 2022, 650 Unite the Union members working at Arriva Yorkshire depots voted in favour of indefinite strike action, beginning 6 June. Unite members were balloted on strike action following Arriva's offer of
6132-399: The west and the Yorkshire coalfield further eastwards. In the extreme east of the metropolitan county there are younger deposits of Magnesian Limestone . Areas in the west such as Bradford and Calderdale are dominated by the scenery of the eastern slopes of the South Pennines , dropping from upland in the west down to the east, and dissected by many steep-sided valleys while a small part of
6216-471: The west: Lancashire , Greater Manchester , Derbyshire , South Yorkshire and North Yorkshire . The terrain of the county mostly consists of the Pennines and its foothills which dominate the west of the county and gradually descend into the Vale of York and Humberhead Levels in the east. Geologically, it lies almost entirely on rocks of carboniferous age which form the inner Southern Pennine fringes in
6300-405: The workers' employer, arising from a 2002 strike at Belfast International Airport , and the related actions of a full-time union official employee. In October 2009, British Airways announced that it would cut 1,700 cabin crew jobs. Unite, which represented 12,000 of the company's cabin crew, said that it had been in talks with British Airways about the company's plans to reduce costs, but that
6384-576: Was 'insufficient evidence' to launch an investigation. An Information Commissioner's Office investigation took place, as did internal Labour disciplinary proceedings. McCluskey was re-elected in an early general secretary election in 2013, defeating Hicks. In 2014, the union achieved a legal ruling by the Employment Appeal Tribunal that employers need to account for overtime when calculating holiday pay. In April 2014, McCluskey threatened to disaffiliate Unite from Labour and launch
6468-451: Was Hicks's third successive attempt at becoming Unite's general secretary. On 14 April 2013 it was announced that Len McCluskey had been re-elected for a five-year term. In December 2016, the incumbent general secretary Len McCluskey announced his resignation in order to contest an election for the post, which was held in April 2017. McCluskey was challenged by Unite's West Midlands regional secretary Gerard Coyne, who accused him of "putting
6552-413: Was chosen as United Left's candidate in a ballot, winning by 370 votes to 367. Beckett challenged the result, but Turner's victory was upheld after reports into the conduct of the vote were completed. Beckett later announced he would still stand as a candidate. Sharon Graham declared herself as a candidate from the left of the union without seeking endorsement from United Left. A new group, Workers' Unite,
6636-464: Was endorsed by Woodley, and Bayliss was endorsed by Simpson. McCluskey was elected as the first single general secretary with 42.4% of the vote for a five-year term starting on 1 January 2011. The overall turnout was 15.8%. In late 2012, Len McCluskey called an early election. On 4 March 2013, Unite announced that two candidates were standing in the election: McCluskey, who had won 1089 branch nominations, and Hicks, who had won 136 nominations. This
6720-629: Was first drawn up in the 1950s. All the county's districts contain large portions of green belt. West Yorkshire has close ties with Lancashire in terms of history, local identity and infrastructure including with the War of the Roses and Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway . Up until the 19th century, the town of Todmorden was in Lancashire but was moved into Yorkshire. In the 1974 boundary review. The towns of Earby and Barnoldswick were moved into
6804-596: Was formed as a metropolitan county in 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972 , and corresponds roughly to the core of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire and the county boroughs of Bradford, Dewsbury, Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds, and Wakefield. West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council inherited the use of West Riding County Hall at Wakefield , opened in 1898, from the West Riding County Council in 1974. Since 1987 it has been
6888-609: Was granted in July 1888. However the Industrial Revolution , which changed West and South Yorkshire significantly, led to the growth of Leeds and Bradford, which became the area's two largest cities (Leeds being the largest in Yorkshire). Leeds was granted city status in 1893 and Bradford in 1897. The name of Leeds Town Hall reflects the fact that at its opening in 1858 Leeds was not yet a city, while Bradford renamed its Town Hall as City Hall in 1965. West Yorkshire
6972-487: Was passed to amend existing local acts of Parliament in the West Yorkshire area, and to confer specific powers on West Yorkshire County Council , as well as the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council , Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council , Kirklees Council , Leeds City Council and Wakefield Council . West Yorkshire is ethnically diverse, hosting large populations of multiple ethnic minority groups. Most notably,
7056-528: Was purchased. The four companies were taken over by British Bus in 1995 which itself was purchased by Cowie Group in August 1996. All were rebranded under the Arriva brand in 1997. From May 2008 until July 2021, there was a sister company in Huddersfield . Centrebus Holdings , in which Arriva held a 40% stake, was formed when the Huddersfield operations of Stagecoach Yorkshire was purchased along with
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