The government should be using the growing surplus of centrally-collected business rates to ease the pressure on councils, not encouraging them to shift the care burden onto hard pressed local…Read more…
No Mr Grayling, the #SouthernStrike is very much about safety
Chris Grayling and Southern Rail are trying to convince us that the Southern strike is not about safety. They insist that extending driver only trains, which is at the heart of the dispute between…Read more…
Government refusing to take responsibility for social care crisis, says UNISON
Responding to today’s (Thursday) announcement by the government on social care funding, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “Government cuts to council budgets helped cause the crisis in…Read more…
Women pay for austerity
While almost every group outside those on the top end of the income distribution have suffered immeasurably under nearly a decade of austerity, it is women who are footing the largest bill. …Read more…
Budget lobby of the Scottish Parliament – 15 December 2016
UNISON Scotland branches joined the trade union lobby of the Scottish Parliament today. Calling for a budget that defends public services.Mark Ferguson, Chair of UNISON Scotland’s Local Government Committee addresses the lobby.Read more…
Poor students frozen out
Unite community members from Durham University held a festive campus demonstration on Tuesday (November 13), to protest against accommodation costs and price increases that are leaving poorer…Read more…
Working over Christmas? This is for you
The public have a message for those of you working over the holidays
The article Working over Christmas? This is for you first appeared on the UNISON National site.Read more…
For the last two years London per capita income was DOUBLE the rest of the UK
Despite all the rhetoric about rebalancing and powerhouses, new regional figures show how far London has moved from the rest of the country. In 2014 and 2015 gross value added (GVA) per capita was more than double in London compared to the average over the rest of the UK. In cash terms: £43,600…Read more…
Second affiliate says it is checking Newham mayoral vote
Check out latest report in the “Newham Recorder”. Tonight at my Councillor surgery I had angry and upset residents coming to see me about what they believe to be a “rigged” Mayoral trigger ballot.
“A second affiliate organisation has confirmed th…Read more…
The strange death of municipal England – the role of the trade unions?
Your blogger, as someone who was a student of local government even before I was an employee, can do no better than recommend this free essay in the London Review of Books on “the Strange Death of Municipal England”. Seriously, go and read that now. Even if you don’t come back here.Before starting…Read more…
Trying not to read too much into today’s employment figures
The latest employment figures show that the labour market recovery hasn’t reversed, but the story of the last six months hasn’t changed much either: little improvement and some worrying signs of weakness. The latest figures, for August to October, show the employment level down 6,000 and the…Read more…
School funding cuts could deny children a decent future says UNISON
Responding to government plans to reform school funding UNISON head of education Jon Richards said: “Schools that are already underfunded will get much less than they’d hoped for….Read more…
Christmas delivery strike off
Both parties have come to a mutual agreement on the treatment of the historical pay issues specific to the Barton site which will be put to the Unite members in a ballot. As a result, all…Read more…
BA: Poverty pay and broken words
Thousands of cabin crew working for British Airways’ ‘Mixed Fleet’ have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action over poverty pay and broken promises. Nearly 80 per cent of the…Read more…
Saved – bin workers’ tips
There are jobs that are important – which everyone recognises – and they rightly get the pay and social esteem they deserve. Then there are workers whom none of us could live without, but…Read more…
NUJ Brussels voting to support Turkish journalists
Last night at the December 2016 monthly meeting, NUJ Brussels voted to make a sizeable donation, namely €1,000, to support for the Turkish journalists. Some in the branch were a bit wary of donating…Read more…
Proposed Employment Tribunal reform will not fix failing system
14 December 2016
By Andrew Moretta, World of Work PhD student, The University of Liverpool
Some 18 months after the Ministry of Justice review on employment tribunal fees was announced, and six…Read more…
Southern rail strike: 48-hour walkout
Striking train drivers bring the Southern network to a halt. Members of the Aslef union walked out for 48 hours. A further 24-hour strike is set for Friday. About 300,000 passengers usually travel on…Read more…
We must keep meat safe and hygienic
As Christmas approaches, UNISON is highlighting the importance of keeping the meat we eat hygienic by making sure slaughterhouses continue to be inspected by well-trained state-employed meat hygiene…Read more…
Let’s talk about racism at work
The increase in racist and xenophobic attacks post-Brexit created a public outcry and highlighted the fact that racism is still an issue in modern Britain. This came as no surprise for many Black…Read more…