The wide-ranging report being published today by the Work and Pensions Commission provides both a pretty comprehensive to-do list for the next Pensions Minister and an important warning that urgency is required on many of these tasks. Among its proposa…Read more…
Struggling to survive
The so-called “record numbers” in which women are in work obscures an inconvenient truth – that women are hurting now more than ever. A new TUC report published today (March 9) has found that women have been overwhelmingly funnelled into part-time, low-paid jobs over the past year, with less than half of women’s net […]
The post Struggling to survive appeared first on UNITElive.org.
Overseas development funding pledge: Law at last!
We’ve just heard the good news that the private member’s bill on the UK contribution to Official Development Assistance (ODA) has successfully navigated both Houses of Parliament and is awaiting Royal Assent to become law. The TUC takes this opportunity to thank all affiliates, their members,…Read more…
No to austerity
Northern Ireland, where public sector spending represents almost three-quarters of the region’s GDP, faces the worst cuts in 80 years. The 2015-2016 budget, which follows four straight years of austerity, entails slashing £1.3bn in funding in the next four years – a budget which public sector workers have unequivocally rejected. Unite members working […]
The post No to austerity appeared first on UNITElive.org.
‘Sorry, I’m not political’
Crossing the border to Wales late on Friday night with an air of excitement for what we all knew was going to be a big day, the bus crew were laying out voter registration forms, with pens on clipboards, so we’d be ready bright and early the next day. Reflecting now, we’re glad […]
The post ‘Sorry, I’m not political’ appeared first on UNITElive.org.
End this courting of the powerful
David Cameron won the leadership of his party telling activists to “let sunshine win the day”. Into the 2010 General Election he went, promising to clean up a political system discredited by MPs’ expenses. Here was the man to bring about transparency in the lobbying industry and even end “crony capitalism”, to heal Britain’s sickly politics. […]
The post End this courting of the powerful appeared first on UNITElive.org.
Sinn Féin to oppose welfare bill in Northern Ireland Assembly
BBC Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness has said the Northern Ireland Assembly is facing a “very serious crisis” over the issue of welfare reform. His party has blocked the passage of the…Read more…
UK General Election 2015: Focus on opinion polls
Analysis: This general election will see more opinion poll activity than has ever been available not just from the 10 firms carrying out national polls but we have also had separate polls for…Read more…
Retail sales are strong because of intensified deflation, not subsiding deflation
Another ‘good deflation’ story in the FT today: ‘fears of damaging deflationary spiral subside’. Strong retail sales growth is regarded at odds with ‘pessimists’ predictions’ of ‘falling prices and weak demand tainting the world economy’. But an alternative interpretation of the same figures is…Read more…
The ‘un-statued’ women
Female figures from history are virtually invisible. Think of the statues in London alone — where are the women? Not in Trafalgar Square, nor in Parliament Square. In fact, of the 640 listed statues in Britain, only 15 per cent are of women. In London it’s a measly 7 per cent. One such “un-statued” […]
The post The ‘un-statued’ women appeared first on UNITElive.org.
Speech: Mentoring Course for Women in the CWU
It’s fitting that we are holding this course today – the day after we celebrated International Women’s Day. The theme this year for International Women’s day is Make it Happen. We are told by the…Read more…
Keep Buckhurst Field a public open space
I’m not sure what evidence Elizabeth Mackley has that the proposal by the New College Corporation in relation to Buckhurst Field has been “well received”. Certainly the College management has cultivated support from local football clubs by promises of its use at prices they can afford….Read more…
A rising tide may lift all boats, but DWP disability release fails to show decreasing disadvantage
Late last month, the DWP put out a glowing headline: 400 more disabled people in work every day. It is not entirely unwelcome news. It does mean that there has been net growth of more than 141,000 disabled people in some form of employment over the past year. It also means that the DWP is…Read more…
NUT “doesn’t accept” findings of controversial free school report
Union says project is all about handing over public assets to unaccountable academy groupsRead more…
Half of women’s new jobs are low-paid and part-time
TUC says women will not see benefit of recovery until they are paid moreRead more…
Blacklist protestors target Bristol
Union’s crocodile tears tour comes to a city where 25 workers are blacklistedRead more…
Win! Woolwich strike off after inflation-busting pay rise
GMB members to vote on whether to accept new pay offerRead more…
We need a new Equal Pay Act
It has been 45 years since Barbara Castle’s Equal Pay Act – and we still don’t have equal pay. So what would an updated act need to cover? Emily Thornberry explains. by Emily Thornberry…Read more…
The amount of cash benefits to rich has gone UP since recession
You don’t have to be a raving leftie to think this is completely wrong and bonkers.
Inequality Briefing have found that the “Between 2007 and 2013, cash benefits paid to the richest fifth of the population increased by 42%. For the poorest fifth, be…Read more…
Anti-austerity campaign
There is a story in today’s Sunday Herald that highlights UNISON Scotland’s ongoing campaign against austerity and the impact it is having on Scotland. It describes some of the methods we are using to promote that campaign in the coming months.However, the newspaper has spun this into an initiative aimed at attacking Labour. It is nothing of the sort. In fact the campaign starts by highlightingRead more…