Dear Colleagues,Happy new year to you all!It is clear that 2023 will herald the most significant era of trade union strike action this century and in modern times. Arguably what makes this wave of action quite different is that includes groups of worke…Read more…
Apologies for the lack of blog posts
Dear Comrades,You will see that there has been a massively long gap between my last post and this. As I have bemoaned extensively over the last couple of years this is because the Blogger platform is periodically blocked by a third party. It is impossi…Read more…
We Demand Better! TUC Cost of Living March, London, 18th June
Dear Colleagues,
I have been plagued by the same problems all users of this blog service have, which is that it periodically gets taken over by some form of hacker and becomes inaccessible.
So, a quick post to share a great picture of my wife Sophia an…Read more…
Support the P&O Workers!
Dear Colleagues,
I am sure that you have been appalled by the appalling behaviour of P&O in issuing an instant redundancy notice via a video message. Everything that we know about gangster capitalism is expressed in their appalling behaviour.
So p…Read more…
Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival: 15-17th July 2022
Dear Colleagues,
Although I always promote Tolpuddle in the sidebar of this blog, as I am going to attend again this year I thought I would give the event an extra special plug – and as this year’s Festival is live/real – and not via Zoom.
All re…Read more…
International Women’s Day: Hold employers to account
Dear Colleagues,
Just a brief post to promote a new resource from the TUC to challenge employers who make a pretence on International Women’s Day of a commitment to sex and gender equality.
As was witnesses during the Black Lives Matter (BLM) res…Read more…
Why We Fight: Essays on Fascism, Resistance, and Surviving the Apocalypse
Dear Colleagues,
Whilst there is never enough time to read the vast wealth of relevant, topical material out there, I like to keep an eye for particularly valuable new books to promote.
And so, I came across Shane Burley’s new book, Why we Fight, when …Read more…
Eric Hobsbawm Memorial Lecture: Racial Capitalism. What’s in a Name?
Dear Colleagues,
One of the (few) benefits of the pandemic is the increased volume of events and activity that you can engage with online. And with this in mind I am keen to promote your attendance at this year’s Eric Hobsbawn Memorial Lecture.
The Warehouse: Workers and Robots at Amazon
Dear Colleagues,
Whilst there is a vast, growing literature on political, social, economic and environmental implications of the Amazon ‘business model, I was particularly keen to flag Alessandro Delfanti’s new book, The Warehouse: Workers and Robots a…Read more…
Ten Predictions For the Year Ahead in Labor
Dear Colleagues,
Happy new year!
Whilst browsing a wide range of literature over the Christmas break I read a thoughtful article in the excellent US political magazine In These Times. Their take on the US political landscape, and the specific focus on …Read more…
International Labour Organization and Global Social Governance
Dear Colleagues,
As the only international, multilaterial agency tasked with specific task of working towards decent work for all those engaged in any form of economic activity, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is an organisation I pay close…Read more…
The Purpose of Power: How to build movements for the 21st Century
Dear Colleagues,
I was honoured to be invited to chair a panel discussion on 9th September with Alicia Garza – co-founder of Black Lives Matter – to discuss her new book, The purpose of power. Although the book is frameworked around her life in the for…Read more…
Forging a new global workers’ movement
Dear Colleagues,
I am very pleased to re-produce here an excellent overview article by a colleague Immanuel Ness, that first appeared in the GLU Labour Column. The article provides a sound snapshot of the key themes and thesis of Immanuel’s latest book…Read more…
RIP Ruskin College
Dear Colleagues,
I was fortunate to get advance notification of an article by Peter Wilby in the current edition of the New Statesman. Peter has been following recent, pitiful events involving Ruskin and wanted to provide brief coverage in his column. …Read more…
Windrush Day: 22nd June 2021
Dear Colleagues,
Today marks a critically important day in the political calendar, Windrush Day.
It should mark a day of reflection and celebration, which it does in part, but in truth today also continues the spotlight on the shameless mis-treatment o…Read more…
Remember George Floyd, and commit to the fight against racism
Dear Colleagues,
25th March marks the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. The TUC and Stand up to Racism are organising an event which brings us to together to pay respects to the memory of George Floyd, and asks us all to commit to the…Read more…
A warm greeting to all on May Day
Dear Colleagues,
I wanted to post a brief message to wish all those who take the time to read this blog, a happy May Day. Whilst there is always much to occupy our time and energy in the struggle for decent, safe work, we should remember the many…Read more…
International Workers’ Memorial Day: Tues 28th April
Dear Colleagues,
IWMD this year has an additional poignancy and sense of anger in the shadow of the vast number of workers who have lost their lives needlessly during the pandemic. Whilst the government hopes that a public inquiry will provide sufficie…Read more…
COVID-19: Impacts on the cultural industries and the implications for policy
Dear Colleagues,
On Tuesday 30th March I have organised the first stage in a root-and-branch review of the way in which Equity develops and implements all aspects of equalities, diversity and inclusion policy, strategy and communications. I am ve…Read more…
Activist organizing and organizing activism: A post-pandemic world in the making
Dear Colleagues,
I am still having problems accessing this blog on a routine basis. This explains the last three posts all published closely together, and then nothing ’til this weekend. I am thinking of shifting over to a more stable platform like Wor…Read more…