I think most people who follow this blog and my social media, know I am standing for the Community General Seat. My plea is that as many UNISON members vote as possible in these important elections. While my wish is to get rid of a majority NEC f…Read more…
Mr Jones – Ukraine 1932 (and 2022) BBC iPlayer
Recently I watch this film on BBC iPlayer. This is about a Welsh journalist, Gareth Jones, who exposed the “Holodomor” (Great famine) in Ukraine during the 1930s. This famine killed millions and was caused either intentionally and/or&…Read more…
New Music for the Matchgirls
New Music for the MatchgirlsHello All, This year marks the 135th anniversary of the Matchgirls Strike! We thought you would be interested to hear of some new music inspired by the Matchgirls story. We are very excited to anno…Read more…
The Gas Workers’ and General Labourers’ Union was formed #OTD 1889
For all my Boiler Makers friends and comrades. The predecessor to the GMB Union was formed on this day in Beckton Gas works, what is now in Newham, London by future West Ham Mayor and MP, Will Thorne. Hat tip @englishradical Read more…
Understanding Pensions: TUC Union Course
I can remember my first ever TUC pensions course held many, many moons ago at Congress House. Jonathan Jefferies has also been my tutor on other TUC courses. Next to pay, pensions are probably the most important of your terms and conditions …Read more…
NO PAY OFFER for NHS staff in Northern Ireland! Strike Actionfor 24 hrs on Friday the 31st and Monday the 3rd of April.
“NO PAY OFFER for NHS staff in Northern Ireland! NHS staff in Northern Ireland will NOT be getting offered any pay rise . UNISON will be taking all out strike action for 24hrs on Friday the 31st and Monday the 3rd of April”.Let us all support thi…Read more…
Ruthin 10k circular
Off message. Recently Gill and I took time out from family matters for this recent walk in Wales around the ancient hilltop market town of Ruthin, Vale of Clwyd. We found the walk on the Ordnance Survey app. Starting from the town centre going nor…Read more…
10th anniversary collapse of Rana Plaza garment factory Bangladesh: 1100 dead
Webinar on Global Company–Trade Union Agreements: A proxy for regulatory compliance & due diligenceAs someone who has worked on and off in the borough for 30 years (I was there today) and been a trade union representative for most of this time…Read more…
“Trouble in Mill” Clarion Housing Group Pay and Pensions Disputes
1. Update on Pay dispute and ballotFollowing the rejection of the UNISON pay claim for 2023/24 and the imposition of pay cuts by Clarion (resulting in pay being cut in real terms by somewhere between 5 to 8.2% below inflation during the worse cos…Read more…
NHS Pay offer – UNISON 2023 ballot : Gordon McKay
An intelligent and convincing guest post by UNISON Health NEC member (and real life NHS nurse) Gordon McKay on the latest NHS pay offer to settle the strikes. I am so proud of my UNISON NHS comrades such as Gordon and LAS Eddie Brand,, who have not onl…Read more…
Margaret Gray 1941-2023
My sisters’ Helen, Lucy and I lost our Mum on Tuesday evening. She died at her home in Ruthin peacefully in her sleep. She had been in poor health for quite some time but we did not expect to lose her so soon.The picture of Mum pushing one of us in a p…Read more…
125th Anniversary of the 1st Ever “Labour” Council – West Ham 1 November 1898 – 2023
I have posted in the past on former Cllr George Coe on my blog, https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2015/05/west-ham-municipal-elections-1893-now.htmland https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2020/10/socialist-labour-west-ham-cllr-george.html.I now have fu…Read more…
Why are 45% of leaders white high social class men while only 1% are working class black women?
A very powerful statistic provided by “Progress Together” which aims to “work to create a financial services sector in the UK in which EVERYONE working in it is both enabled and has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.The measure of s…Read more…
West Ham Park Street Survey
In West Ham, the ward I represent as a Newham Councillor (E15 postcode), a consultation and survey is taking place on “seeking local views on issues relating road safety, air quality, walking, cycling, and traffic in the area”. This survey (and p…Read more…
Dan Tomlinson for Chipping Barnet
It was great to attend fundraising dinner last week for the Labour candidate in Chipping Barnet, Dan Tomlinson. I went with my UNISON colleague (and political secretary to London Labour Link) Joel Bodmer. Dan was supported by @unisonglr #Lab…Read more…
“Over-55s braced to work into their 70s as cost-of-living bites”
A dreadful story. While some of us may want to think about working after retirement, nearly all of us would want to have the choice and not be forced to work until we drop. The answer is greater financial support by employers and government for p…Read more…
UNISON Greater London Labour Link Regional Forum 2023
This week we had our UNISON Regional Labour Link Forum meeting for Greater London delegates in our headquarters in Camden. Labour Link is the UNISON Political fund affiliated to the Labour Party which members decide whether or not they wish to join.&nb…Read more…
International Women’s Day: Protecting Women’s Right to Strike
“It’s fitting that today, 8th March, is International Women’s Day and it was also going to be one of the most important strikes in UNISON history, if the government hadn’t finally given into pressure thanks to the four days of action taken by our…Read more…
UNISON Community Conference 2023 – Day 2
I posted on Day 1 here on the UNISON annual Seminar/conference for Community (Housing Association & Voluntary sector workers). Which went pretty well. Denise and I started the 2nd day leafleting delegates as they arrived for conference an…Read more…
A Women’s Place is in her Trade Union! – Join Newham Labour Unions celebrating International Women’s Day by Recruiting
Do join us if you can, for part or all of the time as we celebrate International Women’s Day by encouraging women to join a Trade Union!Outside Stratford Station. All Labour supporting women union members and allies welcome.All TUC affiliates wel…Read more…