AFL-CIO and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) issued a joint statement today on trade and multilateralism on June 15, 2018: The working people of the United States and Europe have been…Read more…
Umbrella firms sink to ‘new low’
A troubling new practice of deducted the government’s Apprenticeship Levy from workers’ wages – on top of taxes meant to be paid by employers – has been described as a “new low” for rip off umbrella…Read more…
‘It simply doesn’t work’
Universal Credit – the government’s flagship welfare reform rolling six benefits into one – was today (June 15) slated by a government watchdog. The National Audit Office (NAO) published a new…Read more…
Standing together
Unite Community activists in Leeds have been praised by the parents of disabled children after their campaigning helped suspend plans to scrap school transport for the youngsters. Leeds City…Read more…
Online to offline organising – lessons from the US and Australia
Digital offers unions ways to reach out to workers that we’d find hard to access traditionally, due to hostile employers, geographical dispersion or limited organiser resources. It can also provide…Read more…
“Councils face replacement property drought”
Two-thirds of councils will be unable to replace all the homes sold under Right to Buy without significant reform of the system, according to the Local Government Association.The LGA this week released research it commissioned from property consultancy…Read more…
NEC by-election
Nominations will open on 2 July for election to fill the Greater London reserved seat
The article NEC by-election first appeared on the UNISON National site.Read more…
Why Pensions are so important and organising to defend the Local Government Pension Scheme
Today I had a record breaking 3 meetings on Pensions. First I chaired a meeting of Greater London UNISON reps who sit on local Council Pension Boards (see group picture of Forum members above).
UNISON has cross service group national and regional foru…Read more…
‘Destabilising’
Doctors in Unite (DiU) has called on health secretary Jeremy Hunt to pull the plug on GP at Hand, an online video GP consultation service that critics have said is defunding already overstretched…Read more…
Democracy matters – The Local Governance Review
Modern Scotland needs a major devolution of power, placing responsibilities and resources with citizens and communities. This means strengthening democracy through the ballot box and by giving people…Read more…
Pay takeoff
Almost a thousand easyJet ground staff and baggage handlers at Gatwick airport employed by DHL have negotiated a pay boost worth on average 7.5 per cent over two years. The workers will also…Read more…
Hidden lifelines
In Carer’s Week 2018 we speak to Unite regional officer Joanne Galazka Joanne Galazka had to grow up quick. At nine she became a carer for her mother, Freda, who developed severe post-natal…Read more…
Evelyn Beckley: ‘a shining example of hard-working NHS support staff’
UNISON member wins award for ‘operational services excellence’ at NHS England Windrush Awards to mark 70th anniversary of NHS
The article Evelyn Beckley: ‘a shining example of hard-working NHS…Read more…
Job cuts: ‘Too deep and too fast’
Unite warned Rolls-Royce against cutting ‘too deep and too fast’ after the engineering firm today (June 14) announced that it was planning to cut several thousand largely managerial and…Read more…
Green For Grenfell
“Lighting up the Old Stratford Town Hall & East Ham Town Hall at @NewhamLondon to mark our respects to the victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy one year on. And our enduring condolences to their loved ones. #greenforgrenfell”
Hat Tip Mayor Rokhsa…Read more…
What would Dads like for Fathers’ Day this year? How about proper paternity pay?
TUC analysis published ahead of Fathers’ Day reveals that one in four dads who had a child in the last 12 months didn’t qualify for statutory paternity pay.Read more…
Young workers are in desperate need of a voice at work
Across the country there are a disproportionate number of young people out of work. The average young worker is only £42 a week better off than young workers were 20 years ago. Bath Farhat talks…Read more…
Magpie Project
I spent some time this morning at the Magpie Project in Forest Gate talking to families using the centre & volunteers. I was so impressed. A fantastic respite & haven for mums and children living in temporary accommodation in and around Newham …Read more…
Chantal Mouffe on centrism and right-wing populism
This is from On The Political, published in 2005:In a context where the dominant discourse proclaims there is no alternative to the current neo-liberal form of globalisation and that we should accept its dictats, it is not surprising that a growing num…Read more…
Unions and public policy
Just a few links to some recent bits and pieces related to rebuilding unions. I am hopeful that the public policy discussion is moving on from simply observing that the decline in union density is correlated with rising inequality (and related issues),…Read more…