As private equity firm Greybull Capital may be set to take control of Tata Steel’s Long Products division in Scunthorpe in April as part of a £400m deal to rescue the operation, steel unions have…Read more…
A ‘hidden history’
“Who hates the miners? Thatcher. Who else? The police, the public and the tabloid press,” says the character of legendary campaigner, Mark Ashton, to fellow activist Mike Jackson, during a Gay Pride…Read more…
Swaziland’s feudal dictatorship blocks public sector pay protests
If you think the Tory attempts to prevent unions opposing cuts in the public sector through the Trade Union Bill are bad, spare a thought for the public sector unions in Swaziland, sub-Saharan…Read more…
#TUBill will limit the amount of paid time off for public sector reps
A new report from the TUC on the benefits of paid time off for union reps provides evidence that the Government’s attack on facility time in the public sector is wrong-headed. The proposals in the. This is the culmination of a campaign waged by the political right against workplace representation…Read more…
Iran: what does ending sanctions mean for workers?
Iran is returning to the international community, as the nuclear weapons programme is ended and sanctions are being abandoned. Throughout the diplomatic standoff, unions globally and here in the UK…Read more…
Victory for the Airbus 8: to strike is not a crime!
Earlier this month, thousands of trade unionists marched in Madrid, Spain under the slogan “to strike is not a crime” to show solidarity with eight trade union activists on trial for…Read more…
EU referendum campaign begins: let’s put workers first
This morning an edited version of this piece was in the Sunday Mirror, with the alternative point of view put by Michael Gove MP. His remark that “membership of the EU prevents us being able to…Read more…
Where does the Chancellor now stand, as calls for public spending and ending reliance on monetary policy grow ever louder?
Prompted in part by the OECD’s latest warnings, more and more commentators are now arguing for expansionary policies. They argue that with the monetary policy near exhausted, governments need to step up and spend. The OECD set matters in motion. In their latest economic report (here; chief…Read more…
North Sea ‘race to the bottom’
Unite, the UK’s biggest offshore trade union, has reiterated its warning to the UK and Scottish governments that a new wave of cuts to offshore contractors pay rates will intensify a race to the…Read more…
Save Somerset cider
A delegation of workers from the threatened Shepton Mallet Cider Mill is due to meet Somerset’s MPs on Tuesday (February 23) to explore ways of creating new employment opportunities in the county….Read more…
No bonus for NHS lifesavers
As UNITElive reported last year, NHS workers risked their lives – many of them travelling thousands of miles over Christmas – to help fight Ebola, a disease that ravaged West Africa, killing more…Read more…
Don’t let British democracy die
Do you vote? Perhaps you feel that marking your X won’t make any difference. It may be you are one of nearly a million people who have gone missing since the way we register to vote was…Read more…
Manufacturing takes a further blow
Unite Scotland has said today (February 18) that the imminent closure of Irvine-based mining and petro-chemical equipment manufacturer AMP Control UK, resulting in the loss of 60 jobs, is another…Read more…
Worst among equals
The government’s refusal to adopt an active industrial strategy and decisively support manufacturing industries such as steel is leaving the UK lagging behind in the productivity stakes warned Unite….Read more…
Brexit: who benefits?
David Cameron has been touring European cities negotiating for a so called reformed European Union and doesn’t it make you feel ashamed? The number one on his negotiating agenda is an…Read more…
Reps pay the price
Hull city council was under fire today (February 18) from Unite for axing two trade union convenor posts as part of a cost cutting exercise while at the same time committing to spending over £1.5m a…Read more…
‘Decline and stagnation’
The government hailed employment figures published yesterday (February 17) that showed the jobless rate hit an all-time low of 5.1 per cent. “At a time when we are seeing the number of…Read more…
One in three commuter trains delayed
According to a survey published by Which? today, one in three commuter trains are delayed, and 7% of the 7,000 respondents were delayed by 30 minutes or more. Arriva Trains Wales came out worst with 31% of passengers being delayed. This was despite receiving around £331m in net subsidies from the…Read more…
‘This cannot be the future of Northern Ireland’
Northern Ireland’s manufacturing workforce was dealt another blow as aerospace firm Bombardier announced today (February 17) that more than 1,000 jobs would be axed in its Northern Ireland operation,…Read more…
Construction future at risk
Serious questions have been raised about the future of training in the construction industry, already plagued with skills’ shortages, as the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is set to axe…Read more…