Latest union blog posts:

Once again the fast-food restaurant giant is under investigation by the USA’s National Labour Relations Board for allegedly firing workers for pro-union activity. Through a Freedom of Information...

I was only able to attend the first two sessions at this year's AMNT Summer conference before having to dash off to a represent a union member in a meeting out of London. Our first speaker was Stephanie Flanders, who is now the Chief Market Strategist for JP Morgan but much better known as being...

Thank you for the invitation to address your convention. A special thank you to your new President, Mark Dimondstein, for his hospitality. I am sure he will measure up to the problems you face. I...

Having thrown the jigsaw up in the air with its hastily constructed plans to effectively allow pension savers to cash in their retirements pots, the Government is now trying to catch the pieces and put them back in some kind of order. In its response to a consultation on its so-called Freedom and...

It is with great surprise that we learned about the full plans for Co-operative Working from Potterieseye website and not from the Council. The document was not disclosed to UNISON by the council. When asked to comment on the document … Continue reading →

A special members meeting has been organised on Thursday 14 August 2014 at 12.30 pm at the Council Chamber, Civic Centre to elect a new branch secretary. Please do your utmost to attend for this vitally important meeting. For further … Continue reading →

All the signs are that so far pensions auto-enrolment, which requires people to actively opt out if they don’t want to contribute to a workplace pension, has been a great success. But I argue in a blog published over at Pensions Insight that the financial services industry is being rather...

The Justice Minister, Chris Grayling, has claimed that he is going to “Slay the health and safety culture”. Like Don Quixote, he’s bravely riding into battle with an opponent that isn’t...

Despite some recent press coverage, UNISON's position on the referendum remains one of challenging both sides of the referendum debate on how their plans will create social justice, bring an end to...

Off message but this morning I took part again in this 5 mile run in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford. We were started by 2012 Olympic Cycling legend, Sir Chris Hoy (see bottom right of college). It was a great run around the Park. A little hot and humid but very friendly and...

London Over 100,000 people came onto the streets of London, Glasgow and Belfast and other towns across the UK yesterday to protest at the continuing Israeli attacks on the people of Gaza in which...

I am talking in our lingua franca. Tell me, do you drive on the left or right? Is your football team the Botswana Zebras Or Indomitable Lions of Cameroon? Can you take me to Junkanoo And is...

This morning members of West Ham Labour Party were out knocking on doors in Grays, Essex with local Thurrock activists in support of their Parliamentary candidate, Polly Billington. Polly is in the group picture with West Ham MP Lyn Brown (holding Labour attack dog Cara). West Ham has been...

At Labour’s National Policy Forum today Ed Miliband will commit an incoming Labour Government to continue austerity cuts until 2020 to eradicate a deficit made worse by Con Dem tax cutting policies...

Not Richard’s – not your “Lionheart” ’s – horse, no Nor Great Alexander’s steed Bucephalus, no Not Roman horses thundering home their demonic mastery, Not the legendary, immortal, Trojan...

"This is the campaign for everyone in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who doesn't have a vote in The Scottish Referendum, but wants to have voice in saying #letsstaytogether Take a closer look and sign up here: http://www.letsstaytogether.org.uk"

Prime Minister David Cameron was recently interviewed by award winning journalist Adam Smith – author of ‘Obama and Me’ – and was asked about the blacklisting in the construction...

What the Tories are proposing today on strike regulation is an unprecedented attack on human rights in the UK. “Sensible and proportionate” says Francis Maude. The opposite is true – it is thuggish, prejudiced, political and utterly disproportionate. Trade unions are already heavily regulated and...