This was no budget for a green economy. There’s no notion of how the Chancellor’s infrastructure plans or business incentives would contribute to green growth, nor how to avoid any of the downside risks of these plans. Environmental levies look increasingly like a straight revenue raiser….Read more…
The real story of the Autumn Statement: the OBR tell the Chancellor to think again
Many are already reporting today’s Autumn Statement in terms of the immediate changes to stamp duty and air travel. But the big headlines were not in the Chancellor’s speech. It’s the OBR’s chilling analysis of the spending cuts that are set to come that should be the real…Read more…
Ruskin College: The legacy of trade union education and research
Colleagues,
My colleague Caroline Holmes (co-ordinator of the BA ILTUS) at Ruskin College has pulled off a fantastic feat in organising the first student-based and led symposium of the Critical Labour Studies network (CLS: http://criticallabourst…Read more…
Work allowances – the nasty little cut in the #AutumnStatement
This afternoon the Chancellor told us that one of his “steps to control benefit spending” will be “freezing Universal Credit work allowances for a further year”. The work allowance is one of the key elements of Universal Credit – it is the amount of earnings you’re allowed before your Universal…Read more…
The ‘long-term plan’ is a political plan not an economic plan
Today the OBR released figures that showed, as widely expected, deficit reduction to date has stalled. Balancing the books (one further year into the future) relies on eye-watering and dangerous cuts in departmental spending. Meantime, in the economy, household debts have been revised up by £174…Read more…
‘Older Women in the Workplace’ Reps Event: Tuesday 9th December 2014
I am an older woman. I have listened to older women working in the private and public sectors and know there are many similar issues affecting older women in the workplace.
At the STUC Women’s…Read more…
Autumn Statement 2014 stamp duty give away will do nothing to solve the housing crisis
Many eyes will be on the stamp duty tax cuts announced in the autumn statement today, but this will do little to address the UK’s entrenched housing crisis. A very unpalatable truth for supporters of the current government is that total home ownership has declined in every year since 2008….Read more…
Autumn Statement 2014 – What’s in it for industry?
Today’s Autumn Statement contained an important package on growth and productivity. So what did we get? And was it enough? First, there was good news on infrastructure. £15bn was committed to improve the national road network. This includes around £6bn to resurface 80% of the national…Read more…
Britain needs a pay rise, but this #AutumnStatement won’t give us one
Listening to today’s Autumn Statement, it’s clear the living standards crisis has wrecked the Chancellor’s strategy. He has failed his deficit reduction pledge as low-paid Britain is paying much less tax than expected – £17bn less in fact. And businesses won’t be able to find the…Read more…
Austerity will continue to hit frontline flood defences
One thing at least is clear from the Autumn Statement: austerity measures will continue to undermine our national response to climate change, notably our frontline flood defences. No new money is involved in the multi-year capital programme for flood d…Read more…
Nov/Dec ’14 Voice column: Another Day
Slumped in the back of the cab, exhausted. Another day in the life of the union! “I’ve picked you up before,” the driver said. “How’s life in the CWU?” Taken by surprise, I replied:…Read more…
Catch-22, Cuban style
Tonight (Wednesday 3 December), the traditional annual Vigil for the Cuban Five will take place outside the US Embassy in London. The gathering, now in its 8th year, calls on the US to honour calls…Read more…
16 years is too long. Justice for the Miami 5 Now!
Tonight many UNISON members and other trade unionists will attend the annual Candlelight Vigil for the Miami Five outside the US Embassy starting at 6pm. Speakers include a special guest from Cuba…Read more…
The UNISON General Secretary election 2015
I have today been assured that budget provision is available to resource an election in 2015 for the election of a General Secretary for UNISON, should such an election be necessary.It will be.
I don’t intend, in this post, to comment on the lamentable succession planning of the full-time…Read more…
What next?
After a long day at work, and ahead of a lengthy, (if less long) meeting of the Left Caucus of the UNISON National Executive Council (NEC) I had the opportunity today to pop by the annual seasonal social event for UNISON staff and NEC members.
Whilst I missed the opportunity to purchase raffle…Read more…
Torchlight march and Bhopal Disaster Museum
#Bhopal30 From Sam Macartney and Scott Donohoe in Bhopal: Tuesday began with a national solidarity meeting with families and NGOs who support the campaign.Then a visit to the workplace of the women who have taken the fight to the courts and the Indian government. They have their own trade union now but they still haven’t received justice for the disaster. Next we visited the new Bhopal People’sRead more…
Tens of thousands of single parents face wrongful sanctions
Sanctions have been a key plank in welfare policy for both Labour and the coalition government. They are designed to make sure that claimants looking, or preparing, for work comply with the requirements the job centre places on them in return for their…Read more…
Safety inspections are a requirement, not an option says ILO.
The International Labour Organisation, which sets international regulations on a range of employment and health and safety issues has just considered a case that could have ramifications for the…Read more…
Neo-liberalism
This is a few months old, but well worth a read – an interview with Will Davies (parts 1 and 2). Some choice quotes below that I particularly like/ agree with.
Ultimately what neoliberalism is doing is paradoxical. It is asserting the political l…Read more…
Questions for coalition on flood defence promises
Increased spending on flood defences and exploratory talks for the first lagoon power project with potential to provide 8% of the UK’s energy have been trailed as key to the government’s infrastructure plans. But already the Oppostion is arguing that this is not new money – at the beginning…Read more…