Charlie Alford

Operating theatre staff set to strike in Greater Manchester hospitals

Post author:Grace
Post published:21 August 2026
Post last modified:21 August 2026

Four hospitals in Greater Manchester are facing strikes from over 350 operating theatre workers next week. But the staff aren’t taking action for higher wages or better hours — they’re walking out to force their employers to pay them what they’re already owed. The same staff already took part in four rounds of industrial action during June, taking on additional strikes to push for their rights. However, their simple demands have so far gone unmet. The workers have scheduled their latest strikes for Monday 24 August, Wednesday 26 August and Friday 28 August. Clinical support staff, housekeepers and nurses at Fairfield…

Behind the glamour of the West End, theatre workers are pushing for better conditions

Post author:The Canary
Post published:3 August 2026
Post last modified:3 August 2026

It’s easy to assume that the theatre is a world of glitz and glamour. A place where performers have their names in lights and live lives of luxury. But many theatre workers face the same challenges common across all sectors. Unpredictable hours and pay, difficulty achieving work-life balance, a general sense of precarity. Performers and other staff in the Equity union have been pushing for an improvement in their terms. And they’ve already had success. A new deal for theatre workers Equity members have voted to ratify a new three-year agreement with the Society of London Theatre (SOLT). It covers pay…

Theatre, not football — commentary on Egypt vs Argentina

Post author:Alaa Shamali
Post published:8 July 2026
Post last modified:9 July 2026

The controversy that followed Egypt’s 3-2 loss to Argentina in the 2026 World Cup Round of 16 did not stop with the objections of the Egyptian coaching staff; it extended to global coaches, refereeing experts, analysts, and even stars from outside football, in a rare scene where referee decisions and VAR technology became the headline of a match described as one of the most controversial in the tournament. With rising criticism, it seemed that the discussion was no longer about Argentina’s dramatic comeback, but about the consistency of VAR technology, after many felt that refereeing decisions changed the course of the…