Redundancy notices for refuse workers Rubbish piled up on the streets of Alum Rock in Birmingham during the dispute Refuse workers in Birmingham will be issued with redundancy notices after the…Read more…
A missed opportunity – the government’s corporate governance proposals
I have in a blog in The New Statesman, entitled Workers on boards was an enlightened idea – Theresa May should have stuck to it , which sets out the TUC’s comments to the government’s corporate governance proposals, after our initial response described the proposals as feeble. And in…Read more…
Govt slammed in disabled ‘shame’
The Tories blew £39m over a year in mostly fruitless efforts to block benefits for sick and disabled people, new figures show. The cash was spent contesting appeals from thousands of people…Read more…
NHS: £100m spend for agency GPs
As general practice faces a growing staffing crisis, the NHS has said it will pay up to £100m to agencies to recruit 5,000 new GPs, mostly from abroad. In a contract notice posted by NHS…Read more…
Unveiled
The basic design for the new Mini Electric car, which will be built in the UK, has been unveiled by BMW. Unite hailed the moment as “an exciting development on the road towards the widespread…Read more…
‘Come clean’ call
Royal Mail announced yesterday (August 30) that it would be flogging off property part of its central London Mount Pleasant sorting office to private developers Taylor Wimpey to build luxury flats….Read more…
Offshoring fears
Unite is deeply alarmed that Deeside based Witter Towbars appears intent on closing its manufacturing site in Deeside, north Wales and offshoring the work to Romania. Unite was informed that…Read more…
‘Stand firm’ call
Unite today (August 31) urged members of Birmingham city council’s cabinet to back the deal agreed with the leader of the council, John Clancy at the conciliation service Acas and bring the long…Read more…
Tory peer says Brexit is good for young workers…because they’ll have fewer rights
Once again, a hard Brexiter has let the mask slip on workers’ rights. Speaking to the BBC yesterday, Lord Harris – a multi-millionaire, retail tycoon and Tory peer – claimed that Brexit would ‘give younger people more opportunity’ because they could work longer hours in his shops….Read more…
Govt to rob from lowest earners
Low-paid self-employed workers face a massive tax increase in April, which threatens to see many of those on the very lowest incomes in the economy fall through the cracks. Even though the…Read more…
Union to visit classrooms to highlight employment rights to pupils:
Union reps prepare to go back to school to teach pupils about workers rights Union will train members to visit classrooms throughout Scotland to highlight employment rights to pupils TRAINING for…Read more…
McDonald’s workers to coordinate strike with allies around world
Workers at two McDonald’s restaurants in the UK will go on strike on 4 September, the US Labor Day holiday, in an attempt to coordinate action against the fast food giant with allies around the…Read more…
‘Pushed into debt’
Nearly a fifth people struggling with debts have had their credit card limit automatically increased, a figure higher than for regular cardholders, new research shows. Citizens Advice found 18…Read more…
Oh joy, another Labour leadership contest
Scottish politics may be many things, but boring it isn’t. Just when you think we are in for a settled period, the Scottish Labour Leader, Kez Dugdale, resigns.
With hindsight, it was perhaps not a…Read more…
Divided Scotland
Picture it if you will. You are at a huge wedding reception and 100 guests are assembled in the hotel gardens sipping the Prosecco on offer. The hotel staff wheel out the wedding cake. It is set out…Read more…
What’s going on in the economy? Five key charts for September
It’s been a challenging summer for the UK economy with growth slowing, demand declining, business investment stalling and the UK’s balance of trade deteriorating. In happier news employment levels are at a record high, although real wages have continued to decline. So what’s going on in the…Read more…
Unison 2018 Diaries
(image shown is 2017 diary – 2018 version will have a different cover) The branch is now receiving orders for 2018 Unison Diaries. All orders and payments must be received at the branch office by Friday 6 October 2017. Requests … Continue reading →Read more…
Will the TUC respond effectively to the crisis of our trade unions?
Those of us with an interest in our trade union movement may sometimes peruse the Final Agendafor the Annual Trades Union Congress when it is published. Having attended Congress on UNISON’s behalf on eight occasions I know that the annual Parliament of our trade unions could (just possibly) be a…Read more…
Corporate Governance reforms offer greater transparency, but no real change
29 August 2017
Launching a consultation into Corporate Governance at the end of 2016, the government announced that workers needed a stronger voice to ensure businesses operated with regard to the…Read more…
Forest Gate North “Labor Day” Picnic/BBQ Sunday 3 September
Just a quick reminder that Forest Gate North Labour Party will be holding a Summer Picnic/BBQ on Sunday 3rd September on Wanstead Flats opposite the Golden Fleece pub from 3 to 6 p.m. Come along and bring a dish to share. Don’t forget to brin…Read more…