Facebook reminded me to day that 8 years ago I had posted on a Festive Christmas Quiz on the website “Facing Reality” which described itself as a “Satirical view from the left”. The site has stopped publishing since 2015 which is a shame si…Read more…
Remember to update your UNISON Membership details
Check out and update your personal and work details at https://www.unison.org.uk/my-unison/.
I have members complaining that they never hear anything from UNISON but when you check we have out of date email addresses, addresses and phone nu…Read more…
Nadolig Llawen 2021!
Merry Christmas everyone!
(View on way up to to Snowden, Yr Wyddfa, looking back on the Watkins Path. Now looking forward to Easter 2022 climb). Read more…
Merry Communist Christmas!
This is my traditional Christmas Eve Video. A little bit of Crimbo silliness that makes me smile at least.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you!
Hat tip Stroppybird! Read more…
“Trade unions are more vital than ever – so why is the government attacking them?”
Hat tip Frances O’Grady – TUC General Secretary “PoliticsHome”
“As 2022 begins, a pandemic is raging, nearly a million workers are on zero-hours contracts, two million workers have no right to sick pay and five million earn less than the real living wa…Read more…
Bad Regulation = Bad Landlords
Hat tip “Nearly Legal” and check out this sobering report on the regulation of private sector renting by the National Audit Office.
There are 4.4 million privately rented “households” in England. Those who have bad experiences of such renting may “fi…Read more…
Introducing the Retirement Living Standards (& Future Christmas Dinners)
This is a really clever approach by the PLSA to encouraging people think about their pensions seriously Once you decide what lifestyle you want after retirement you can then think about what you have to do to achieve it.
Do you want a “Minimum”, …Read more…
Why Join a Union and A Christmas Carol
hat tip https://twitter.com/UnisonNbriaPol
Never been a better time to join UNISON. Click here: http://join.unison.org.ukRead more…
Love E15: Help Needed – Can you lend a hand on Saturday 29th Jan 2022?
I am writing on behalf of Love E15 to invite you to our next volunteering event. We will be collecting donations of compost from Abbey Gardens, moving our 4 new street planters into location, and filling them with compost. We would love to see you ther…Read more…
Triple Jabbed but I have still caught Covid – be careful out there (But still get Jabbed)
Yesterday (Friday) I got “pinged” on my NHS Covid-19 “Track & Trace App”. As did a colleague who I had lunch with last Saturday. I felt fine except I hadn’t been sleeping that well since Wednesday. I had taken a Lateral Flow test on Thursday which …Read more…
UNISON Regional Labour Link Committee – Leonie Copper AM & Abena Oppong-Asare MP guest speakers
Today I chaired our virtual Greater London UNISON Labour Link Committee (which represents UNISON members who have chosen to affiliate to the Labour Party in London).
AS well as discussing budgets, work plans and campaigning for next …Read more…
“How not to handle a flexible working request”
Check out this article on how in King v Tesco our largest supermarket in the UK messed up a request by one of its employees for flexible working. It is an important but tricky subject so make sure you join a union (UNISON of course if you work in publi…Read more…
Council houses named after Matchgirls Strike leader – Sarah Chapman
Hat tip picture Tower Hamlets Council and report Ali G and article by East London Advertiser (note campaign in Newham to protect the grave site of Sarah Chapman in Manor Park Cemetery. – https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2020/03/visiting-grave-of-…Read more…
Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge, Chingford to Forest Gate Walk
Off message but on Sunday, Gill and I took the magic train from Wanstead Park station to Chingford (change at Walthamstow Queens Road then walk to nearby Walthamstow Central to catch the connection for Chingford). It only took just over 30 minutes but …Read more…
Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 theme: #OneDay
One Day – 27 January – is a day that we put aside every year to come together to remember, to learn about the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and the genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur, in the hope that there may be&n…Read more…
LAPFF Conference 2021: Day One
Day One of the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum Annual (LAPFF) conference started with a welcome by our Chair, Cllr Doug McMurdo.
First item was a blended panel on the Local Government Pension Scheme APPG (all Party Parliamentary Group) report…Read more…
BBC Reality Check debunks five false vaccine claims
After responding to some bizarre and misleading comments on a post I have made about vaccination I thought this article and video by the BBC is really helpful.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-59523439
While I can understand and respect peoples hesi…Read more…
“Reboot furlough to save jobs in sectors hit by Plan B” says TUC
“The TUC has called for Treasury support to protect jobs, and for the sick pay system to be fixed to reduce spread of Omicron, in response to today’s announcement of ‘plan B’ restrictions.The union body highlights that when a work from home instruction…Read more…
LAPFF at Thirty
I am currently in Bournemouth for the 30th annual conference of the Local Authority Pension Fund. I am one of its Vice Chair’s. This 6 minute video was produced to celebrate the history of LAPFF and a reminder of the good work it has done over the years/Read more…
“Engaging for Change” – Local Authority Pension Fund Forum Conference 2021
On Wednesday I arrived in Bournemouth for our annual conference (which was cancelled last year due to Covid-19) looking forward to the next 3 days of pretty non stop pension and investment debates, sharing of ideas and presentations #nirvana.
Read more…