All the union news that's fit to blog...
We’re often told that the key to raising wages is to solve the ‘productivity puzzle’. Output per worker has stagnated since the financial crisis, leading economists to worry that the outlook for the economy is bleak. But a range of evidence across many countries suggests that the fall in…
This year, household debt is set to be higher than ever before. TUC analysis finds that unsecured debt per household is set to reach £13,900 in 2017. In 2016, unsecured debt per household was already £13,200 – higher than at any other point since the financial crisis and only marginally below…
While the General Election takes centre stage, within Whitehall a process is quietly going on that could affect the living standards of upwards of 11 million people. Last week, a government consultation on the future of defined benefit (DB) pensions – the type that pay an income based on our salary…
Are you thinking “why wasn’t I at home today?” As we struggle home from work, we are often driven to wonder why we are making the journey in the first place. There is a lot that can upset us – delays, congestion, thoughtless road users, having to stand on public transport and a general…
The Conservative party published their manifesto this morning. This means we are now in a position to look at the approach of each major party to funding social care in England. Conservatives The Conservative policy is abandon the Dilnot reforms the pa…
For a while there was a fad among political journalists for asking politicians the price of every day items, to test their understanding of voter’s lives. When it comes to changes to pensions policy, aspiring political leaders should have to prove their understanding of the financial position…
Today is the opening day of the TUC’s two day Disabled Worker’s Conference. And last week was the Mental Health Awareness Week, with the theme of Surviving or Thriving? While the employment rate of disabled people has increased in the last few years there is still a large disability employment gap…
Today’s labour market figures presented yet another iteration of the puzzle of the UK labour market in recent years: why are higher employment rates not pushing up wages? Traditional labour market theory tells us that as unemployment falls, workers feel more secure in their jobs and more able to…
Today the European Court of Justice (ECJ) gave an important boost to the case for scrapping Investor State Dispute Settlement, as well as other corporate court systems like it, in trade agreements. Part of the ECJ’s ruling today was that trade deals that contain ISDS need to be ratified in EU…
If you’re under 25, this election matters because it is about securing your future. A massive 2.4m young people are currently missing from the voter register, more than enough votes to swing the election outcome drastically in any direction they chose. We know that turnout for 18-24 year olds has…
Today is the International Day for Families, so it’s timely to think about the types of support that working families need to spend more time together. As a starting point, it’s imperative that working parents don’t see their existing rights undermined following Brexit. EU employment law…
If industrial policy is suddenly so popular amongst politicians wanting our votes, why was it so controversial before now? The answer to that question lies in the fact that industrial policy has been based on an understanding that some business sectors…
What’s at stake for working people in this election? Economic issues increasingly risk being the dog that didn’t bark in this election. The 2015 campaign saw a fierce debate about the figures, whether on the scale of the cost-of-living crisis or the size of the deficit, at the centre of parties’…
The main parties in this election are committed to an active industrial strategy, a great improvement over years of leaving much of the development of industry to market forces. But we need to see the detail. As they publish their manifestos, we’ll be watching closely to see what their own…
For UK workers the financial crisis has morphed into a real earnings crisis. OECD forecasts suggest that there will be very little respite in the next parliament. Over 2017 and 2018 UK real wages are expected to decline by -0.5%. Only Greece, Italy and…
How important is the voice of workers to the success of industry? Needless to say, industrial success is a collaborative process: the best companies enjoy the benefits of excellent management, engaged shareholders (or a visionary owner) and a talented,…
General election campaigns are an opportunity for competing political parties to set out their visions of the economic and social future of the country. Those visions can be markedly different, but going into this campaign we are in the happy position …
As expected, Andy Burnham has been elected as the new Mayor for Greater Manchester. Whilst the result may not be a great surprise, it is nonetheless important. With a population of 2.7million, Greater Manchester has the biggest set of devolved responsi…
As the UK leaves the European Union, it will need to develop its own independent trade policy that fits with a wider industrial strategy. This includes developing a system of trade remedies, the instruments that are used to combat market distortions (s…
Summary: It makes no sense to think about the deficit without thinking about the size and strength of the economy. A Newsnight report on the public finances last night was illustrated with a chart seemingly showing high spending causing the deficit. It…