More than a million families with a household income below £30,000 are in extreme debt, and ongoing wage stagnation is making the problem worse, according to a new report published today (Tuesday) by…Read more…
No-one should be forced to choose between paying the rent and feeding their kids
Over three million households (one in eight UK households) are paying more than 25% of their household income on repaying unsecured debts.
The article No-one should be forced to choose between…Read more…
‘The best job in the world’
It is hard not to take it personally. Rarely a week goes by without some keyboard warrior with a newspaper byline telling unions how they ought to do this, that or the next thing better. …Read more…
More than a million families struggle with extreme debt
Stagnant wages make problem worse for families struggling with low pay
The article More than a million families struggle with extreme debt first appeared on the UNISON National site.Read more…
Investment Association gets bitten by Loch Ness Monster
I am catching up on my reading and have been enjoying the rather brutal kicking that the UK fund managers “trade body” the Investment Association (IA) has recently received following its nonsensical claim that their fees don’t matter. The IA claimed th…Read more…
The way we think about debt is stopping us from solving the problem
As many as 3.2 million households, and more than 7 million people may be struggling with problem levels of debt, according to a new Centre for Responsible Credit study we commissioned with Unison. A large number of those households face debt levels that they may never clear. This debt leaves them…Read more…
Remembering past victims of slavery is crucial, but it’s not over yet
The 23 August is the UN International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery – a day to remember the horrors of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Estimates vary but around 11 million people…Read more…
The post-crisis consumer debt boom is less explosive, but even more unaffordable
It is well known that economic growth has still been excessively reliant on households, even in spite of the unprecedented falls in real earnings of recent years. Today the TUC publishes analysis that shows just how heavy pressures on some households have become. The ‘Britain in the Red’ report, by…Read more…
Standstill wages mean over a million low-income families struggle with extreme debt
Today saw the publication of our (The Centre for Responsible Credit) final report from the joint TUC and Unison commissioned ‘Britain in the Red’ project. The project has been looking at available aggregate and household survey data to track the extent of household over-indebtedness: particularly…Read more…
Steel: Still no gov’t strategy
Steel giant Tata’s Port Talbot steelworks is back in profit – but workers’ jobs still hang in the balance. Just six months ago the plant – Tata’s biggest UK steelworks – was making a loss of…Read more…
Tax cheat curb plans are useless
New plans to hit firms that sell tax avoidance schemes with heavy fines are useless – because the Tories have stripped HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) of its resources for catching cheats, leading…Read more…
An attempt to split the United Left
The United Left is the dominant faction within UNITE, including both General Secretary Len McCluskey and a majority of the union’s Executive Council. It appears from the letter below that there is an attempt to split the United Left in Scotland, a m…Read more…
Services will go in cuts frenzy
Local government services in the historic city of Bristol will be shredded because of swingeing cuts imposed by the Tory government, trade unions warned today (Monday August 22). Care for…Read more…
Unite Scotland house build call
And from the south east of England to Scotland – Unite is out to defeat the UK’s housing misery crisis. Unite Scotland announced (August 19) it is backing calls for a national strategy to…Read more…
Under pressure, underfunded and undervalued
Laying bare the experiences of more than 2,200 UNISON members working in councils and schools, delivering the local services we all rely on
The article Under pressure, underfunded and undervalued…Read more…
The shame of London hotels
Global hotel chains stand accused of making London one of the most ‘unethical’ tourist destinations in the world by its own workforce in a hard hitting report launched today (Monday August 22) by…Read more…
“Madness to spend £9 billion of taxpayers money lining the pockets ofprivate landlords”
Well said David Orr. Not that often I say that.
“Landlords paid £9bn in housing benefit
A study from the National Housing Federation (NHF) shows that private landlords are being paid £9.3bn in housing benefit this year, up from £4.6bn in 2008. In the same period the number of private renters…Read more…
Union sets up network to support members who are EU citizens
Union will be producing information for members from the EU and their families to reassure them of their rights
The article Union sets up network to support members who are EU citizens first…Read more…
Collective action of gig economy workers:
Deliveroo Collective action via social media brings hope to gig economy workers Campaigners hope Deliveroo couriers’ victory over pay will rally more temporary, self-employed workers to organise…Read more…
Whether you love a Big Mac or Not. Ask McDonalds to stop pumping antibiotics into cattle
Dear John,
McDonald’s is contributing to a public health crisis that affects every person on this planet – whether you love a Big Mac or not. The fast food giant is serving meats that are pumped with antibiotics, which are fueling resistance to the antibiotics we need to treat even minor…Read more…