We’ve published the results of a new poll today, showing that the majority of the British public think that unions should be able to use electronic balloting to vote for industrial action. YouGov talked to a representative sample of 1,711 adults. 53% told them that secure online voting for…Read more…
The State Pension muddle and 1950s women
On Thursday, Mhairi Black, the youngest MP in the House of Commons, will do her bit for intergenerational solidarity by opening a House of Commons debate on State Pension age changes. A long-simmering row over the impact on women born in the 1950s of a combination of State Pension Age equalisation…Read more…
Do you know where your next meal is coming from? ‘Free’ traders say you mustn’t!
Just before Christmas, the US Congress caved in to a ruling from the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and agreed that displaying the country of origin of beef and pork products should no longer be required. Canadian and Mexican meat producers (and the U…Read more…
2016 is the year to end the two-speed economy
Decent wages and security for your family shouldn’t just be the preserve of those at the top of the tree, but should be on offer for everyone.
The post 2016 is the year to end the two-speed economy appeared first on ToUChstone blog.Read more…
TTIP: due for a diet in the New Year resolutions?
When the negotiations for an EU-US trade deal – the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) – were launched back in 2013, advocates of the deal predicted that it could be completed “on one tank of gas”, before the US Presidential elections brought Barack…Read more…
China: we say no to market economy status
The Financial Times has today reported that the US government is pressing the European Commission not to grant China ‘Market Economy Status’ (MES), which under WTO rules would allow far more undercutting by Chinese exports into the EU. The UK government is on the record as a supporter…Read more…
ISDS: even when Governments win, we all lose
We’re often told we shouldn’t worry about Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) in the new generation of so-called ‘free’ trade agreements, because the UK Government doesn’t lose cases. In practice that’s because most UK agreements containing ISDS have been…Read more…
Andy Haldane at the TUC: technology, labour and policy choices
Interest rates: Ancient Mesopotamia to the present (see end of post for source) On 12 November 2015 Andy Haldane, Chief Economist at the Bank of England, spoke at the TUC. While a little late in the day, it is worthwhile to review some of the very important points he made, not least given the…Read more…
ONS Christmas present to Chancellor: a slump in nominal GDP
The final release of economic figures for 2015 does not make happy reading for the Chancellor. Headline GDP for 2015Q3 is revised down to 0.4% from 0.5%; Q2 was 0.5%. On the annual measure comparing with the same quarter a year ago, growth is now 2.1%,…Read more…
5 lessons trade unions can teach the WTO
Trade talks at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) closed in Nairobi on Saturday and the biggest news is what they did not manage to agree. After 14 years of stalled talks, rich countries continued to refuse to address longstanding injustices in agriculture, such as food stockholding – a…Read more…
A Happy New Year for the NHS?
There’s no doubt about it, the last 12 months have been a bumpy ride for our National Health Service. Will 2016 be any better? A year that started off with the government negotiating its way out of a bout of unprecedented industrial action involving NHS workers in England from nurses and midwives…Read more…
#COP21: How does education and research figure?
The Paris Agreement that was finalised on 12 December (pdf) has had a mixed reception. For some, it is an historic document that will keep global warming in check. For others, it will deliver too little too late. Without repeating all of the arguments …Read more…
Government from the dark side? Transparency is not strong with this one…
Labour Deputy Leader Tom Watson made an interesting speech today, raising concerns about the erosion of transparency and accountability under our current government, and the threats this poses to our civil liberties. He accuses the Prime Minister in particular of “governing from the…Read more…
ONS wealth data: the rich get considerably richer
In cash terms the top 10% own £5.0 trillion of UK total household wealth of £11.1 trillion – that’s 44.8 per cent (over 2012-14). Last time (2010-12), it was £4.1tn of £9.4tn – so 43.6%. This increased share of 1.2 percentage points (ppts) is very hefty relative to the past three…Read more…
Ceramic Valley may lose ceramic factories without support
In the Autumn Statement more Enterprise Zones were announced, including “Ceramic Valley” in the Stoke and Staffordshire LEP. For our members making construction product materials it should currently be a no-brainer to invest in extra manufacturing capacity, given: Cross-party agreement on the need…Read more…
International migrants day 2015: European unions call for refugee employment rights
The TUC has joined other unions around Europe to mark International Migrants Day (18 Dec) by calling for measures to get refugees integrated into the workplace, rather than left in limbo in camps or on benefits – or worse. The TUC made this call ahead of an international conference in Zagreb,…Read more…
Bedroom Tax – hurting just like we said it would
This was MPs’ last day before the holidays and the department for Work and Pensions celebrated by publishing fourteen – count them – reports, releases and statements. In this take out the trash glut you might be forgiven for missing the excitingly titled Evaluation of Removal of…Read more…
Pension costs – inertia rules
One of the challenges in participating in the long-running debate about the level of costs and charges levied on pensions is the risk of getting all Rumsfeldian. If we do not know what charges and costs are being borne by scheme members and their impact on savers’ standards of living in…Read more…
Cameron should concentrate on European pay, not benefits
Today and tomorrow, the December European Council, where EU leaders meet, will take place in Brussels. The big story for Britain is David Cameron’s EU renegotiation agenda. The TUC has called on him to concentrate on low pay rather than benefit curbs, and especially urged him not to let young…Read more…
Union voice: Looking ahead to 2016 in signing off my last TUC blog
As the government comes under increasing pressure after COP21 to reverse some £7 billion of cuts to the green economy, new data shows its emerging power: 233,000 employees in 96,510 businesses providing renewable energy and low carbon goods and services. The first report in a new official series…Read more…