The introduction of a “heartless” new benefit cap that will leave some families more than £100 a week worse off has been slammed as “cruel” and “hypocritical”. The cap, announced by George…Read more…
‘Major blow’
Unite is demanding to see the financial figures to justify the loss of 389 jobs at Muller’s milk plant at Chadwell Heath in east London. Muller Milk & Ingredients bought Dairy Crest’s milk…Read more…
‘Strongly supported’ strike
The two-day strike at IT giant Fujitsu in Manchester, which started earlier today (November 7), has been strongly supported by about 300 workers in the continuing dispute over pay, pensions and job…Read more…
Schools closed as Durham teaching assistants take two-day strike action
Nearly 100 primary schools across County Durham will be affected tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday as teaching assistants strike in a long-running dispute over cuts to their pay. School support staff…Read more…
Pensions betrayal
Workers at AWE Plc – the Atomic Weapons Establishment – will stage a 24-hour strike on Monday (November 14) in the dispute over the threat to close the defined benefit pension scheme and…Read more…
Remember, remember, 25 November
Stars in Our Schools day is almost upon us, what have you planned?
The article Remember, remember, 25 November first appeared on the UNISON National site.Read more…
Five tips to avoid overspending this Christmas
Snow isn’t falling all around us quite yet, but the Christmas ads have started popping up. And perhaps that sinking feeling has too: The panic of having to buy all those presents, who gets what,…Read more…
Workers at Fujitsu set to strike over gender pay gap
Credit: Reuters Hundreds of workers at Fujitsu are expected to take part in a 48-hour strike in a dispute over pensions, pay, and job security. Members of Unite at the IT giant’s offices in…Read more…
Quintuple reasons for the triple lock
The State Pension triple lock has taken another bashing. A committee of MPs released a report calling for the picking of the so-called triple lock, dating back to 2010, which guarantees that pensions will rise by the higher of inflation (measured by the Consumer Prices Index), average earnings…Read more…
Young worker’s Challenge #3: Lack of training opportunities
This month we’re counting down the ten most significant challenges faced by young workers. If you think about it, you’d expect younger workers to get more training than older workers – after all,…Read more…
The Econocracy: the stunning new book from Rethinking Economics
The ‘rethinking economics’ student movement has been one of the few highlights of the dismal years since the financial crisis. In their new book The Econocracy: The perils of leaving economics to the experts, three of their number – Joe Earle, Cahal Moran and Zach Ward-Perkins – set out in full…Read more…
“Axe the Housing Act”: UNISON Motion to London Labour Conference 2016
This is below a motion by Greater London UNISON Regional Labour Link to the London Labour Party Conference next Saturday 12 November.
“Housing continues to be the biggest challenge that Londoners face in the capital today with many who grew up in…Read more…
Unite dossier on Fujitsu pay inequality
Unite has today published a dossier on unequal pay in Fujitsu. The publication coincides with members in Manchester striking over…Read more…
Trigger Democracy – A choice for Newham
Can I recommend that anyone interested in the Newham Labour Mayoral selection process for 2018 looks at this new website https://triggerdemocracy.com/ and its Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Trigger-Democracy-523048401153002/ and its twitt…Read more…
Russian Revolution Centenary Celebrations
7th November 2016 (25th October in the old-style Julian calendar) marks the 99th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, famously dubbed by US journalist John Reed as “ten days that shook the world.”…Read more…
Let me tell you where to put your red poppy…
My poppy is white.
I won’t wear a red one.
If you want a red poppy you commemorate the British war dead (but not others).
And you say that charity – rather than the state – should provide for those injured serving in “our” armed forces.
I do not recognise my presence in any first person plural…Read more…
School Cuts (92% of schools will have their funding cut in England); Book Launch & Demo
Check out the http://www.schoolcuts.org.uk website and enter your postcode and you will see the schools around you that face savage Government cuts in funding. Incredibly 92% of schools face cuts, an average primary school will face £96,000 cut and average Secondary £290,000.
Locally…Read more…
This is what free speech in our trade union movement looks like (it’s not pretty…)
When I started this blog, a little over ten years ago, I explained why I was doing so, and said; “ I believe that this blog is entirely within UNISON Rules and I don’t intend to carry any content which attacks our Union. This is not to say that I won’t publish criticisms of policies or decisions…Read more…
Some inconsequential information
At a meeting of UNISON activists in London last week I shared with colleagues my decision not to seek an eighth term on UNISON’s National Executive Council (NEC) in the next round of elections.
I was pleased to learn that my friend and comrade, Sean Fox, the experienced and committed Secretary of…Read more…
Park Library petition – Catch 22 Swindon style
Swindon Council has refused to table Parks and East Walcot Community Forum’s petition for discussion at the November council meeting. The petition, which has more than 1,100 signatures, calls on the council to amend their proposal to include Park Library in the core provision of the new…Read more…