If you ever wondered what UNISON and the trade union movement does…watch this video. Well worth 2 minutes and 53 seconds of your time.Read more…
Town Hall Fest – Hackney and Havering
Okay, this is probably more than a little sad but last week I went to a meeting of East London Housing Partnership at Hackney Town Hall (top) and today at Havering Town Hall (bottom) for our “One Source” Shared Service committee..
Both are lovel…Read more…
“Newham at forefront of Housing Crisis”
Hat tip Newham Recorder for a pretty full on report on the housing crisis in our borough.
The new mayor of Newham has slammed the loss of nearly 10,000 council homes under Right to Buy since the 1980s – saying the policy has exacerbated the bitter hou…Read more…
First Time UNISON National Delegate Conference Report #UNDC18
First Time National Delegate Conference Report (Guess who is author of below in picture of my branch delegation celebrating the 25th anniversary of UNISON at the conference. Hint.Not me).
“Ahead of attending the conference I went on the ‘Going to Conf…Read more…
Community Wealth Building Seminar for Labour Councillors 21 July 2018
This well attended seminar sponsored by APSE was excellent. Held in the UNISON centre (HQ) in Euston Road, London.
Speakers Paul O’Brien and Mo Baines, APSE; Neil McInroy CLES, Cllr Matthew Brown, Leader of Preston City Council and Cllr Asima S…Read more…
Decent pension provision is not dying out – it’s being murdered
A headline in last Friday’s “Professional Pensions” was “DB surplus hits record high of £382bn on best estimate basis, says First Actuarial”
It is becoming increasingly clear that the the huge decline in decent pension provision in the UK (employ…Read more…
Wanstead Flats Fire July 2018
Pictures taken last weekend from the top of a 308 bus showing the recent fires (from the week before). It was probably the worst fire I can remember in 30 years.
A scary time for many local residents who live adjacent to the flats and it caused massiv…Read more…
July 19th – Pension Board, LAPFF AGM, UNISON HAB, West Ham Labour GC (Sarah Jones MP Shadow Minister Housing)
Belated report on a busy Labour movement day last Thursday 19 July.
I started the day with a quarterly meeting of the London Borough Tower Hamlets Pension Board as an UNISON appointed representative.
The £billion plus fund is doing well and we are pl…Read more…
Race, gender, class in the “Mother of Parliaments”
Recently I went to a late afternoon event in the House of Commons then afterwards had a drink (or three) with a colleague in a nearby pub.
The pub and road outside became full with drinkers enjoying the end of the workday and the glorious sunshine.
What have the Trade Unions done for us?
A great update by the TUC. Watch the inspiration. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7tvauOJMHoRead more…
London Region at UNISON National Labour Link Forum 2018
Picture College of the London delegation at work and at play while at the national forum earlier this month in Newcastle for the UNISON Labour Link political fund that supports the Labour Party.
I am the London Regional Chair but was at forum as an el…Read more…
“Labour councils working with Trade Unions”
This is good news agreement for the Labour movement family. We should never forget that one of the reasons why the Labour Party was ever able to win power in the first place was that they were able to prove that they were on the side of the worke…Read more…
Councillor Report to West Ham Ward 1.7.18
“Dear Members
Firstly, may I apologise for the lateness of this report. The past few months have been exceptionally busy (for all of us).
Many thanks to all everyone who supported Cllr Whitworth and myself to be reselected as your candidates in the…Read more…
NHS 70 : Celebrate and Defend Party in Gateshead
Belated picture collage from NHS 70th Birthday Party held on 5 July in Gateshead. UNISON Labour Link Executive was meeting nearby “across the water” to prepare for the National Forum which started the following day and we volunteered to join the celebr…Read more…
“Tell Esther McVey MP not to scrap the pensions dashboard”
I have already about 10 different defined benefit and defined contribution pensions. It is ridiculous in this day and age that we cannot have a single dashboard to control them.”Do not scrap the promised pensions dashboard, a website that would help mi…Read more…
Philosophical Belief Discrimination
Interesting…. (no known relation)
Philosophical Belief Discrimination
Can an employer discriminate on grounds of philosophical belief where the employee is the only person to hold such a belief?
No, held the EAT in Gray v Mulberry.
Ms Gray worked…Read more…
Letting the government off the hook over removal of housing subsidy
Hat tip Redbrick (shame because Dispatches have a good track record)
“With reporter Antony Barnett driving between sites in a flash open top and very sporty white car, trying to link a number of disconnected stories under the disingenuous title of ‘Ge…Read more…
Labour Friends of Local Government
Great first meeting at Portcullis House Westminster on Wednesday. Labour in Local Government is determined to punch its weight in our national political life. “MPs and Councillors at this Parliamentary reception to mark the formation of Labour Fri…Read more…
Picnic in the Park – West Ham & Stratford Labour Party Sumer Social Friday 27 July
Should be good! Read more…
Charlbury House Walkabout – 17 July 2018 with local Little Ilford Councillors (Art in Blocks)
Picture collage from this evening when I did a home visit to Charlbury House with local Little Ilford Councillors, Councillor Riaz Ahmed Mirza and Councillor Pushpa Dipaklal Makwana about an ongoing leak in the block affecting a number of flats that ne…Read more…