Here’s another extract from my memoirs, which you can purchase (perhaps as a Mother’s Day present) for a nominal price at https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/an-obscure-footnote-in-trade-union-history.
The spring of 1999 saw me carrying equally he…Read more…

 A birthday boy
Here’s another extract from my memoirs, the true enormity of which you can purchase for a nominal price at https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/an-obscure-footnote-in-trade-union-history.
In 1996 I spent a year serving as UNISON deputy…Read more…

Here’s another extract from my memoirs, the full horror of which you can purchase for a nominal price at https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/an-obscure-footnote-in-trade-union-history.
By 1993 I had become branch secretary of NALGO in Lambeth and …Read more…

For those of you who just can’t get enough of this Blog, you can now purchase my overlong and quite honestly fairly tedious memoirs for a purely nominal price online.
Here is an extract from those memoirs concerning the 1991 NALGO advice centres o…Read more…

For those of you who just can’t get enough of this Blog, you can now purchase my overlong and quite honestly fairly tedious memoirs for a purely nominal price online.
Here is an extract from those memoirs – unusually, not involving trade union act…Read more…

For those of you who just can’t get enough of this Blog, you can now purchase my overlong and quite honestly fairly tedious memoirs for a purely nominal price online.
Here is an extract from those memoirs concerning the first strike action I took part …Read more…

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a disgraceful and murderous breach of international law.
I agree with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament that this invasion must be opposed not least because it raises the spectre of nuclear war with all that would ent…Read more…

Back in August 2018 I blogged here about my prostate cancer diagnosis. In April 2020 I noted that my cancer had progressed and was no longer curable. Since then excellent treatment by our National Health Service (NHS) has kept me alive and, until recen…Read more…

In the last post on this blog I expressed my solidarity with my friend and comrade, Paul Holmes, president of UNISON, following his dismissal by Kirklees Council.Those involved in the campaign of solidarity with Paul are rightly focusing on positive me…Read more…

This is the speech I was proud to give at today’s online rally in solidarity with UNISON President Paul Holmes, following his disgraceful dismissal by Kirklees Council;
My name is Jon Rogers. Now I am a retired UNISON member but between 1992 and 2017 I…Read more…

As a retired person suffering from fatigue as a result of advanced cancer, cancer medication and lymphoedema, I watch rather more television than I should.
I particularly enjoy Hammer horror films. I always like the way in which Dracula can be brought …Read more…

Regular readers of this blog (Sid and Doris Blogger) will remember that I served for many years on the National Executive Council (NEC) of UNISON. Over those years I blogged frequently about my work as an NEC member and the only occasionally tedious go…Read more…

While the Tory government descends ever further into chaos, our own Labour Party National Executive this week prioritised refusing to support the proposal that Labour MP, Jeremy Corbyn, should be readmitted to the Parliamentary Labour Party and also ag…Read more…

Contrary to what you might think from watching the television news or listening to the UK government, Ukraine in 2021 is neither Belgium in 1914 nor Poland in 1939. Nothing like a bit of a scare to distract attention from problems at home…I don’t often…Read more…

 In the spring of 2020, as I blogged is here at the time, my father died.We had his funeral, such as it was, on the 19th of May 2020.
A dozen of us were allowed to be there. We couldn’t have a wake. 
Not everyone who should’ve been there to c…Read more…

I have been letting down regular readers of this blog (Sid and Doris blogger) because on top of my other health problems I have serious problem with my shoulder and can’t use the keyboard.However, I have now discovered how to use the dictation software…Read more…

I was pleased to read the opinion of Lord Henry QC on the propriety of motions discussed at the last meeting of the UNISON National Executive Council (NEC) (available online here).
The Presidential Team of the Union, on behalf of the NEC, have sought t…Read more…

It is not often that Brighton and Hove gets a mention on the national evening news, but this evening – as industrial action (now set to escalate) by GMB members in refuse collection enters its second week we were mentioned by the BBC.It’s not difficult…Read more…

Labour’s leader has chosen to take the tired old path of demonstrating his leadership credentials by picking a fight with the left of the Party at this year’s Conference. One part of this project is a proposal to change the system for electing Party Le…Read more…

Paul Holmes is one of the most dedicated – and decent – trade unionists I have ever met. He is the long standing Branch Secretary of one of UNISON’s largest branches ( Kirklees large by virtue of a high UNISON density rather than the size of th…Read more…